Z-Blogs

Having missed every opportunity to get one, I finally went to get my Aadhar card along with my daughter today. For a while now, I've been trying to find the centres where the Aadhar card work (collection of application forms, verification of details, collection of biometrics) is still being done. After having found that a number of centers do not do it any longer, I heard from several people about Karvy (on no website did I get this information, alas!) in Basavanagudi.   The full  address of t Karvy Consultants is: +(91)-80-26621192, 41204350  18004258282  No.51/2, Tkn Complex, Vanivilas Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore…

Our little man went back to school on Monday. We watched him put on his new t-shirt, wear his new pair of  shoes. We watched him walking with his new school bag, new lunch bag, new water bottle, new name tags And he looked so handsome and smart, and happy, that my heart swelled with pride, with love. I watched him walk beside his father and prayed he would be safe and secure in the world out there. As I went back inside our flat, I happened to look out the window of our living room. A small figure was…

Aradhana Academy is not on the list of "elite" schools of Bangalore. But here's our experience. I sent this email to Rajane Prasad, Admissions Co-ordinator, and Sister Moly, the Principal of the School. Dear Ms Rajane: There is a FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/bangaloreschoolsshweta/Bangalore Schools (closed group, you may not be able to open the link) where parents exchange information about various schools. Here's what Anjana (my daughter, and Kavya's mother) posted: I wanted to write about my experience so far with Aradhana Academy. Some of you may already know that my family has relocated from the U.S. My daughter joined…

We often see vendors like this girl I spotted at the Kanakapura Road/ORR junction, selling large balloons. It could be a variety of (usually Chinese) products: windshield shades, mobile phone charger cords, earbuds, dusters.   Spare a thought for the hardships these people undergo. Obviously, they want to make an honest living, and not beg at the street corners. They get their goods from an agent, and have to pay him a large part of what they earn. In the process, they eke out a very slender living. Do, occasionally, buy from them; you can donate the item you bought…

In the run up to the TCS World 10K which happened on May 15th, Citizen Matters was looking for runners who we could collaborate with to raise funds for our journalism. And now that the run is over, we couldn't have asked for a better set of people to collaborate with. With their help, we managed to raise Rs 2.21 lakh in a span of a month for the journalism on Citizen Matters. Thank you, all of you for being a part of our fundraising.    The TCS World 10K is over, as are the runners' campaigns, but Citizen Matters…

I've written earlier, in this post about artisans who make a living by repairing jewellery. On Sunday, two friends and I went to Commercial Street, a shopping area in Bangalore. Off this street is another narrow street, called, quite appropriately, Jewellers Street. Both of them had jewellery that needed repair, so we found a small shop. "Gun Short" is actually a "gunshot", using a staple gun to pierce the ear quickly and painlessly. "Manul" piercing could also be done. My friends showed the shopkeeper the work to be done, and negotiations for the amount to be charged were successfully concluded.…

Clicked2Help presents “Spirit of India”, an exhibition of photographs showcasing various facets of a vibrant and colorful India at Venkatappa Art Gallery (VAG). The exhibition will be inaugurated on 13 th May, 2016 and will go on till 22 nd May, 2016. The members of TGIS ("Thank God It's Saturday, a city-based photographers' group), have come together for the fourth year running to conduct this exhibition. This group represents a wide spectrum of the society including students, IT professionals, businessmen, and entrepreneurs etc. The amateur and experienced members all join hands to conduct this exhibition every year for a noble cause.…

My maid was talking to me, and telling me about the water situation in her home.  "We pay Rs. 5 per pot or Rs. 15 for a 'can' of water (referring to the large container of water that we often invert into our dispensers). We get 3 per week," she said. Then she laughed and said, "For the same can, you flat people pay Rs. 50!" Water is now a commercial commodity everywhere, and the rates we pay seem to vary widely according to our economic status. The sad part is that one never knows whether this water is indeed…

This Mother's Day, remember the “mother of all battles” that happened in Bengaluru some weeks ago? No, it was not fought on a cricket pitch. Rather, it involved moms who were part of a common forum on Facebook--a group called Mums of Bangalore (MoB, the acronym, turned out to be prescient, in more ways than one). Moms fought with each other. Local moms took on “outsiders” (including the group-founder) for disrespecting the local language, and being disinclined to learn the language of the place they live/work in. There was slander, much shaming, and slurs hurled back and forth. And of course,…

Kaikondrahalli and Kasavanahalli lakes have been in the news for disturbing reasons lately - the rampant real estate developments in the valley zone that may lead to drying up of the downstream lakes and massive flooding in the next rainy season. There is an ongoing petition to raise awareness on this issue. However, it is business as usual at the government offices. Authorities seem to have been quietly sanctioning one project after another. While there is Shriram Chirping Woods project that has been sanctioned in the valley zone, there is also Bren Imperia that has partly been built on the valley…