Everyman's City

Dateline Bangalore

2008-06-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Over the last decade Bangalore -- the once laid-back, quiet, green city -- has been on the throes of change. The speed at which the capital of Karnataka has metamorphosed has stumped everyone; it has been like a teenager outgrowing her clothes.

Being in Bangalore is a mixture of emotions: for some it's the excitement of being transported from a small town to a glitzy fast-paced city; for others it's the pangs of insensitive affluence trampling over human sensibilities; the pleasure and pain a city's shift from anonymity to global stage. They are best captured in the accounts of those who experience them.

Dateline Bangalore hopes to be a collage of those accounts.

Indiblogger meet - Bangalore

2008-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Join Indiblogger.in and join the party!!!

Cross posted on Anw.in.

[indiblogger]

Bangalore Blogger Meet

2008-02-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

I think it's been too long since we met. Anybody else think so?

Bangalore blogger meet

16/02/2008 at 16:00

Get your blog on IndiBlogger!

2007-08-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

Been a very long time since I posted something on this blog. Anyhow, I thought I will introduce to all the Indiblogger site. This site was setup with the same intentions as bloggers of Bangalore blog was setup for. To network and bring bloggers together. The difference is that the Indiblogger is for all bloggers from India and bloggers outside India of Indian Origin.

You can check out IndiBlogger.in, where you can add your blog to the directory and display cool IndiBlogger badges on your blog. Join the community!

http://www.indiblogger.in/

More features will be coming soon. I can't reveal them now. But you are sure in for a pleasant surprise :)

Help 'em if you can

2007-06-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

The three men walking by, much like the many vagabonds you find on the streets, would have easily missed my eyes had it not been for the strange clapping sound they were making with their hands. But ususally I associated such distinctive claps with people dressed as women. Yes, they could also be dressed as men, I soon realised.

They live on the fringes of an insensitive society that looks at them with disdain and derision. They are the transgender persons, the hijras as they are referred to in India. They are neither fully women or men. Or, are they both? Some say they bring in good luck. But why should people have such a dismissive attitude towards them?

These three men were dressed in a faded saffron lungi and shirt. Following them were two more, and one among them, moved towards a roadshide tea shop and extended his hand for alms. The teashop owner refused to give him any money saying those who went ahead had collected. That was a clear lie. The hijra got angry, opened a glass bottle that contained toffees, put his hand inside, took out a palm-full of them and walked away.

I then noticed two more of the group coming up; they were dressed as women. One of them saw the guy picking the toffees, and was clearly upset by that. She chided him loudly and asked him to return them to the shopkeeper. To be sure, she followed him and she apologised to the shopkeeper for the discretion committed by one in the group.

"Sorry, we don't take anything by force. Give only if you wish to give anything," she told the shopkeeper. Then the shopkeeper handed over a Re 1 coin. "If you give, give wholeheartedly," the woman continued.

This time the one who was embarrassed was the shopkeeper. To begin with he could have given them a rupee or two; even a five wouldn't have caused him a loss in business. On the part of the hijaras, it was so refreshing to see her apologise.

Cross-posted from my blog)

2006-12-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

Having "Good Day" and Saying "Have a Good Day!"

Cross Posted in honeyking.blogspot.com

We hate India

2006-08-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I've got your attention!!!

Wabbster brought this "community" in Orkut that's labelled, yes you've guessed it, We Hate India to my knowledge when I was as usual wasting my time on the Internet. . All those on Orkut please go and take a look and all those who are not may consider joining for a peek. Contrary to popular opinions, I didn't get angry or upset. But it sure tickled me no end. I was literally on the floor, laughing and holding on to my stomach for dear life.

That was a very wierd reaction, I know.

But thinking about it, I thought, yeah, cool. I am right. Its a pathetic, even if its bold, attempt at spite. And what got me on the floor again, and more than a little concerned, I am afraid, was the scrap book of the "H/ZERO" who had created the post. It was full of expletives and such against this person.

Introspection brought me back to my feet (from the floor, I mean). Is it worth shouting at somebody in such language (although I do it most of the time, hypocrite)? I mean aren't we wasting our time and energy against something that doesn't matter in the long run? It's just somebody's misguided enthusiasm or spite that brought out this "community". Wouldn't we be fighting or protesting even better and maturedly if we ignore it completely?

I must say that I am almost completely in agreement with Wabbster's take on this commmunity and the mail he received from a "Dave".

Hmmm...interesting.

Crossposted on Me Myself and the World around me

Another year....

2006-08-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Incidentally I just turned another year over today.....nothing special otherwise......thanks for the wishes guys.....

Damn, its comfortable to be at home....do nothing...use up the new internet connection...awesome....

Another year...

2006-08-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hehe, I am at home.....just got a new broadband connection....so am testing it and incidentally, turned a year more today.....aargh, life keeps moving on....needed a break from work so am here doing nothing.....

Did and had nothing special today.....met Anwin in the morning and we had some work to do....came back home...had lunch....nothing else....thanks for all the wishes guys...and gals..!!

Bangalore Bloggers in the News

2006-07-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

Deccan Herald carries a news item today about the work a group of us bloggers did with Akshara's Reading Movement Project.

Here's a snippet.

If you thought blogging was only about speaking out your mind in personal online forums, some Bangalore bloggers will prove you wrong. These bloggers have moved beyond online posts to do grassroots level ground work - all for a cause.

Blog Bang, an informal group of City bloggers, has partnered with Akshara Foundation to assist in its ‘Read Bangalore Project’.

This project has been undertaken by Akshara Foundation in association with the Karnataka State Department of Education to augment the reading skills of primary school children (from Class II to VII) in about 1,374 government primary schools in and around Bangalore.

The task before Blog Bang was more than just spreading the word around in the blog community about the project. Six bloggers, in December 2005, undertook the mission to visit these schools to collect data. Initially, these bloggers started writing in their blogs, requesting for volunteers. As the message spread, not only bloggers, but even their biker friends pitched in.

The rest is here, including quotes from moi, Taz and Surjo.

Akshara is moving into the assessment phase of the project in the coming days. I'll put up the information here as to how we can work with Akshara during that phase as the information becomes available.

Song for Anna

2006-04-13T04:31:00.000-07:00

There's a funny thing we do over here,
not sure if you've seen it or know it clear ;
It's something that is our very own,
a special way in which our feelings are shown.

When we are happy, or sad, or mourning a loss
we mix in some anger and give it a good toss;
some stones, some fire, some shouting too;
we add these in to say "I cry for you".

You must not mistake it for something it's not,
this is how we mourn ; violence is all we've got.
So, you see while Death takes Dr.Raj away,
Bangalore burns to keep the tears at bay.

We lost a great man yesterday, and it is entirely shameful that a City that revered his Life is mourning his loss through so much senseless violence. How dare we put our impatience and intolerance first? How dare we think we, and our idea of how things should be done, are more important than paying our respects? How dare we dishonour his memory in such a manner? For Annavaru to rest, Bangalore must rest too.

(Crossposted on 'From The Chaos')

Trippy thoughts! :)

2006-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Intimidating and scary, yet inviting and enticing, this small semi-circle stretch of tarred road hold a special place in the hearts of most girls of Bangalore, while it brings an excited cheer in the hearts among the Bangalore boys. The Mount Carmel College drive way is definitely a historic place amidst any college go-er in Bangalore.

Spanning not more than a few hundred meters, this drive way is symbolic of all that you’d find in Mount Carmel College. Split into two halves, the drive way has the front drive and the back drive. Both these halves present diametrically opposite pictures of the college. While the front drive holds view the studious crammers, busy completing record books and discussing math formulae, with girls from the science stream, the back drive is a picture apart! This has girls with a completely laid back attitude, without caring a wee bit of the people around them; you’ve the girls of the arts and commerce streams discussing everything possible under the sun.

This more boisterous bunch on the back drive is that which drives every Bangalore boy crazy and intimidated, for when a member of the opposite sex enters the college, you hear some vehement ‘Adam teasing’.

Classrooms apart, the Carmelite spends most time of her college days here, making this stretch pretty nostalgic when one talks about this to any alumnus from the college.

A distinct attraction apart from the obvious beauties on this drive way is the dogs you find, being pampered by the students. These dogs in turn act all chivalrous and frighten the daylights of any male visitor in the campus. (This’d definitely make everyone rethink on calling the dog a man’s best friend.)

Nostalgia, fun, zestfulness, excitement, last minute-cramming and more, this drive way truly symbolizes all that makes a college!

Akshara Update and Thank you!

2005-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

There has been a flurry of e-mails over the last week ever since I put up this post calling for volunteers. After the dust has settled down somewhat, I am thrilled and proud to report that 35 volunteers have come forward to assist Akshara in the various phases of their Read Bangalore Project.

Thank you to all those who volunteered, thank you everyone that spread the word, and thank you to everyone who wrote in their best wishes for the project.

Crossposted on Blogpourri.

What's in a name?

2005-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

By what name do you know this City? Bangalore? Bengaluru? Bean Town?

Does it really make a difference, to you, what it is 'officially' called? Not so much, I would guess.

For those who only know Bangalore as India's Silicon Valley and current IT hub, I doubt the 'brand' will lose much for the change in name. And for us Bangaloreans (or Bengalurians? Or are we all just Beans now?), there has always been both a 'Bangalore' and 'Bengaluru' aspect to the City we know. Both the Western and the traditional Kannadiga aspects of our world. No matter what the 'official' name, I know I shall always think of it as 'Bangalore' when thinking in English, and 'Bengaluru' when thinking in Kannada.

At least in our case, the shift in the name is not as drastic as has been for Mumbai and Chennai. Heck, these cities still get called Bombay and Madras...what horror, I say.

Sure, there is nice feeling involved in knowing that, from now on, the rest of the world will be calling namma Bengaluru by its original name as against the anglasized version.

However, when I hear some of the contorsions the Kannada name undergoes (**cringe, cringe**), when someone unfamiliar with the language tries to pronounce it, I wonder if it is really worth the effort!

(Crossposted on 'From the Chaos')

Akshara - First Steps in the Read Bangalore Project

2005-12-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned here and here, Akshara Foundation has undertaken a project in association with the Karnataka State Department of Education for augmenting the reading skills of primary school children (in classes 2 to 7) in about 1,374 goverment primary schools in and around Bangalore.

Once the initial base-line assessments are done (i.e., assessments of the level at which the students are currently reading and processing language), Akshara expects that about 72,000 (of about 1,90,000) children in these schools will need remedial help to bring their language skills to where they should be for their age.

Last Saturday, Bhaskar, Akash, Surjo, Mandar, Kelly and I met with Col. Rajan and Mr. Ravi Kumar of Akshara Foundation to go over what they need in terms of volunteer help. At that meeting they gave us a broad-brush presentation which gave us an idea of the scale of the project, its objective, the number of schools and the number of children involved, the kind of teacher training that will be necessary in order for the project to be successfully executed (about 3,600 goverment teachers will need to be trained to teach the children language skills over a period of 45 days), and an idea of the kind of logistics involved.

Today I had another meeting with Col. Rajan and Mr. Ashok Kamat (a trustee on Akshara's Board) regarding the first steps in this project in which we can we involved. The steps I'm describing below are only those steps in which we, as volunteers, can be involved in. There are various other pieces of the puzzle that Akshara is working on separately.

The work that needs to be completed over the next 3 and 1/2 months can be divided into two discrete steps:

1. Data Collection: There are three kinds of data that need to be collected - School data, Teacher data and Student data. To begin with, the Karnataka State Department of Education will provide Teacher and Student data to Akshara which Akshara is accepting for the time-being.

School data, on the other hand, will be primarily collected by Akshara. This is where we, the voluteers, come in. Starting December 15, 2005, Akshara will need voluteers to go to each of the schools (addresses and directions will be provided by Akshara), stand there at the location with a GPS receiver (which will also be provided by Akshara) and figure out the exact GPS location (latitudes and longitudes) of that school so the location of every single school under the project can be pin-pointed on a map.

The city is divided into 9 education blocks (with 77 clusters), so it would be possible for voluteers to pick an area and go to all the schools in a couple of clusters, for example, rather than criss-crossing the city and going all over the place.

All this work can be done on weekends and holidays (the schools need not be open for this purpose). The deadline for this step of the project is January 31, 2006.

2. Data Entry: All the data that comes in (School, Teacher and Student) will need to be keyed into computers. A couple of you had asked me if data entry can be done at home on personal computers and I confirmed today that that is possible. Data entry can be done at home and the spreadsheets can be e-mailed to Akshara. Alternatively, data entry can also be done at any of the 9 block offices of Akshara where they have dedicated computers for this purpose.

Akshara anticipates that this phase of the project will begin February 1, 2006 and the deadline is 31, March 2006.

What we need to do now is to let Akshara know which of these two phases each of the voluteers is interested in. Please leave a comment on this post with your preferance and I'll tabulate it so Akshara has a clear idea of where they have help and where they need more.

Please comment.

Crossposted on Blogpourri.

Update 1: Just wished to clarify that after the completion of the two steps described above, there will be follow-up work in the data analysis and assessment areas. Many of you have expressed interest in those areas as well, and there is plenty of opportunity to be involved in that. Thanks.

Update 2: Global Voices has linked to this effort here. Thank you Global Voices.

Update 3: Anita Bora at Just a Little Something links to this post here. Thank you Anita.

Akshara Volunteer Meeting

2005-12-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

Bhaskar, Akash, Surjo, Mandar, Kelly and I had a useful meeting with Col. Rajan and Mr. Ravi Kumar of Akshara Foundation yesterday. More about the meeting and its outcome in a short while.

Those who wanted to come but were unable to, don't despair, there'll be plenty of opportunity to catch up and be involved.

Crossposted on Blogpourri.

Crawling!

2005-11-29T04:51:00.000-08:00

"Crawling" is what you do on Hosur road (for that matter, Bangalore roads);and since a lot of them are doing it in tandem, it is "parallel crawling"! Further, since a lot of people are crawling different parts of Bangalore roads, it is "distributed" as well!

(Jargon not intended, just inevitable :))

Bangalore : From City to Cant.!

2005-11-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

On one of my recent trips, whiles browsing through the Airport bookstore (this is RELIGION! :o) ), a book titled 'Peter Colaco's Bangalore' caught my eye.

Now, I am not one usually given to reading Travelogues / Guides for Tourists / Factsy-Figuresy City Guides, unless I am actually going someplace new, but something about this looked different. And how!

Peter Colaco is an old Bangalore man, born here in 1945, and, among other things, a writer, columnist, visiting prof at IIM(B) and ex-head of an advertising agency. 'Peter Colaco's Bangalore' is just that...Peter Colaco's Bangalore ; the Bangalore he knew growing up, and the Bangalore he learnt about from his grandparents and from his research, and the Bangalore a lot of us know only in urban legend!

Whether you are new to Bangalore, or have been a part of the landscape for ages, pick up this book, retire to a quiet corner in the garden, and start a heart-warming journey into a Bangalore that used to be, not too long ago.

(Crossposted on 'From The Chaos')

Beyond Blogging: Volunteering at Akshara Foundation IV

2005-11-21T06:16:00.000-08:00

Mark this date on your calenders, folks!

The meeting with Col. Rajan of Akshara Foundation will take place on Saturday, December 3rd at 4 pm at Akshara's premises in Cox Town. Col. Rajan will give us a presentation on the volunteer help needed there.

He has e-mailed a couple of templates that will be used in collecting data. I will forward that to all those who commented on the Akshara post below. If anyone else is interested in looking at the templates, please leave a comment to this post and I will forward those to you as well.

Here are the meeting details again:

Date: Saturday, December 3rd, 2005;

Place: Akshara Foundation, 129, MM Cross Road, Cox Town, Bangalore (it is very close to the Fraser Town Police Station).

How does ICT Influence Decision Making?

2005-11-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine called Ramya N is conducting an online surve y as part of her research. The title of her research is: How does ICT Influence Decision Making? A Behavioural Study of Career-Choice Decision-Making among South Indians. Below is an abstract of the survey:

This is a survey which is a part of a project being carried out at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore. In the present age, we see that children are exposed to numerous media at a very young age. We intend to observe how this affects their decisions in general and their career-choice decision in particular. The results of this survey will be used to analyse whether the advancement in Information and Communication Technologies has brought in any change in the mindsets of people with respect to career decisions. Your help in this regard will be greatly appreciated. For practical purposes of analysis and study within a limited time frame, this survey is restricted to only the people who completed school education (10th class) in the southern part of India, post 1980.

I found the topic of Ramya's research to be very interesting. Here is the link to the online survey. If you can spare some time, please do answer the survey. You may find it interesting too!

Crossposted on Cogitations, Reflections and Pericopes.

Beyond Blogging: Volunteering at Akshara III

2005-10-31T19:26:00.000-08:00

Taz Snow, Omar and I visited Akshara and met with Col. Rajan on Saturday (October 29).

See here for details of the massive project Akshara has undertaken in association with the Karnataka State Education Department (the objective is to have every single child in the primary schools in Bangalore to be reading at the levels they are supposed to be by the end of July next year).

He explained the areas in which the project will be needing volunteer assistance. These are:

1. Data collection: this is the earliest step in the process and requires actually traveling to the schools and collecting data regarding the location of the schools, the school strength, etc. Akshara is considering using PDAs/laptops for collecting data. They need help in devising software for entering the data into the PDAs/laptops.

2. Transfer of data to computers: At this stage, the data collected on the ground will be transfered to computers via programs designed for this specific purpose. At the end of the data collection process, Akshara will need the data to be tabulated and presented in a format that will be useful.

3. Data Analysis

4. Assessments: There are two kinds of assessments - at the project level and at the child level. Akshara needs volunteers to conduct assessments of the overall project (how the project is being run) and dipstick assessments (random surveys) of how the children are progressing during and at the end of the program.

5. Documentation: Finally, they will need volunteers to document the entire program from beginning to end. They are also looking for a videographer to make a documentary of this project.

All of this work (other than Documentation, which will be continuous) can be done over the weekends and at Resource Centers (that Akshara will set up in various localities) that are closest to you.

These are the five broad areas in which they need help. If you are interested in any of these five areas, please leave a comment to this post. Col. Rajan is expecting to hear from us by the end of next week. Once we have a group, he's offered to make a presentation (perhaps on a Saturday afternoon/evening or on a Sunday) to us regarding the program and how they see volunteers fitting into the scheme of things. At the presentation, all of us who are interested will get a clearer idea of each of the five steps and we can all decide which areas we will be able to assist in.

Please comment.

The Great Indian October Fest

2005-10-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

:: Welcome to The Great Indian October Fest ::

Beer, music, flea-market, food, games galore and fun unlimited! It's party time Bangalore!!

Truly Bangalore city rocks as it was but the natural choice, the booze haven, that would host this biggg fete first time in India!!

Cheers to the beery beery rocking times ahead!!

*glug glug glug glug glug*

DATE: 28, 29 and 30 Oktober
VENUE: Freeway 19 Entrance, Palace Grounds

Statement from the Bloggers of Bangalore and online petition in support of freedom of expression

2005-10-21T02:58:00.000-07:00

The members of the "Bloggers of Bangalore" community would like to bring to the attention of the media and society at large, certain unfair and intimidatory actions undertaken by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) against members of the Indian blogging community.

In June 2005, JAM (link), a popular youth magazine published out of Mumbai, ran a story on IIPM titled 'The Truth about IIPM's Tall Claims" ( link ) pointing out blatant exaggerations in the institute's claims about infrastructure, courses, affiliations and placements. For instance, the magazine article pointed out how IIPM continues to use certain rankings conferred upon it AFTER those rankings have been withdrawn by the bodies conferring them.
The magazine ran an ethically researched investigative story on IIPM, revealing what was a marketing fraud by the college.

Alongside, Rashmi Bansal, the editor of JAM magazine and a former student of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, who is also a blogger ( link ), published the same on her personal blog ( link to her post here ). In August 2005, blogger Gaurav Sabnis, another Mumbai-based blogger, posted about this on his own blog (link), linking to JAM's original story (link to gaurav's post). Soon after this, he received an e-mail from the IIPM legal department threatening to sue him for a huge sum of money unless he withdrew his comments ( link ). Simultaneously, he was also pressurised by IIPM through his employers, a global hardware manufacturer. Rather than put his employers in a tight spot, Sabnis decided to quit his job ( link ). Meanwhile, Varna Sriraman ( link ) also got a mail from IIPM threatning legal and police action ( link )

This is a story that has been carried by several media organisations
such as the Hindustan Times:
( link )
Indian Express:
( link )
DNA:
( link )
NDTV:
( link )
Business Standard:
( link )
News Today
( link
and MSNBC:
( link )
and has created a furore in the blogosphere in India as well as internationally. The strength of blogging as a force to reckon with has previously been seen in the co-ordination or relief efforts in the Tsunami crisis ( http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com ) and the Mumbai rains at Mumbai Help ( http://mumbaihelp.blogspot.com/ ) and Cloudburst Mumbai ( http://cloudburstmumbai.blogspot.com ).

For detailed information on the bloggers vs IIPM issue, please visit http://desipundit.com for chronological updates on the controversy.

In the meantime, furthen investigative journalism by blogger thalassa_mikra
( link )
have raised further doubts about the educational qualifications of IIPM founder Malay Chaudhuri ( link ) and about IIPM's European connections ( link )
Investigations by other bloggers also cast grave doubts on the quality and authenticity of the foreign institutes that grant degrees to IIPM students.

The purpose of this petition is to express solidarity with the bloggers who have suffered threats and abuse at the hands of IIPM and also to draw attention to the original issues at the heart of the JAM story on IIPM.
If you believe that journalists and the media should be free to inform the public of false advertisements, which directly or indirectly affects their lives;
If you believe education should not be reduced to a marketable commodity;
If you believe that blogging is a powerful supplement to traditional media;
If you believe that bloggers should be entitled to individual opinions as also their own online space for airing and discussing these opinions;
If you believe in standing up for your rights; as an active member of society, as a blogger, as a citizen with the right to know
Please show your support to this cause, by going to the following website:
http://www.petitiononline.com/blogbang, and adding your signature. Also, if you’re a blogger, please carry this article on your blog. Thirdly, do pass this e-mail around to all your contacts.
The bloggers of bangalore are also going to stage a silent, sit-in demonstration on Monday, the 24th of October, in front of IIPM, Bangalore, to express their support to this cause. If you think the right to express our opinions is one of our fundamental, inalienable rights, do inform as many people as you can about this proposed demonstration.

if you want to post this on your blog, or pass it along as an e-mail, you will need the links. I have converted the URL's to HTML links to prevent cluttering, but here are the necessary links anyway:
Jam Magazine:
www.jammag.com

jam article on IIPM:
http://www.jammag.com/careers/
articles/mbacorner/iipm/index.htm

Rashmi's blog:

http://youthcurry.blogspot.com

her post on iipm:

http://youthcurry.blogspot.com
/2005/06/dare-to-dream-beyond-or.html

gaurav sabnis' blog:

http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com

his post on the issue:

http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com
/2005/08/fraud-that-is-iipm.html

Varna's blog:

http://absurdiav.blogspot.com

Varna's legal notice:

http://absurdiav.blogspot.com/
2005/10/yet-another-legal-notice.html

rashmi bansal's post rebutting claims made in fake blogs
that the JAM expose was funded by a rival of IIPM:

http://youthcurry.blogspot.com
/2005/10/lies-damned-lies-and-fake-blogs.html

her post with the caution notice outlook had carried
against IIPM:

http://youthcurry.blogspot.com
/2005/10/caution-notice-re-iipm-in-outlook.html

gaurav's post about IIPM's legal notice to him:

http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com
/2005/10/im-disconnecting-my-cable-connection.html

gaurav's post on his resignation from his workplace:

http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com/2005/10/update.html

Hindustan Times Story:

http://70.86.150.98/Hindustantimes
/artMailDisp.aspx?article=
12_10_2005_003_003&typ=0&pub=264

Indian Express story:

http://cities.expressindia.com
/fullstory.php?newsid=152721

DNA

http://dnaindia.com/
report.asp?NewsID=6136&CatID=5

NDTV

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews
/showmorestory.asp?
category=National&slug=
Row+over+IIPM+blogs&id=79968

Business Standard

http://www.business-standard.com/
common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=
lmnu5&leftindx=5&lselect=2&chklogin=N&autono=203404

News Today

http://newstodaynet.com/20oct/ld1.htm

MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3395977

tsunami blog:

http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com

Mumbai help blog:

http://mumbaihelp.blogspot.com

Cloudburst Mumbai Blog:

http://cloudburstmumbai.blogspot.com

desipundit site:

http://desipundit.com/

thalassa's blog:

http://thalassamikra.blogspot.com

her post on Malay Chaudhuri's educational qualifications:

http://thalassamikra.blogspot.com
/2005/10/iipm-indian-politics-and-why.html

her post on IIPM's European connections:

http://thalassamikra.blogspot.com
/2005/10/information-pertaining-to-iipm.html

protest

2005-10-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here is ( a very hurried) roll-call post on the proposed protest march.
A lot of people have said yes in the mails- since it is rather difficult to kep track there, I suggest that everyone willing to join in leave a comment here, so it's all centralized.
Moreover, as I've said in my mail to blogbang, we need a core team to co-ordinate this effort, and I suggest this core team be formed and meets by day after tomorrow morning if not tomorrow evening to chalk out a clear POA. So, if you are willing t5o be one of the chief perpetrator and can help with someting in particular, do holler here, and let's fix up the venue quick. Call me if you want: 9243122682.
Things to be discussed and formulated:
1) exactly how to keep the law in the loop
2) should we start from PTI and end at IIPM or how else can we go about it.
3) how to keep the media, especially visual media in the loop, so that, if they refuse to take the letter, which I'm sure is what the case will be, we can submit it to the media in a press conference.
4) mailerdemon has offered to design badges etc. for us. mdemon, please just cross-post your comment here.
5) most importantly, the date of the protest.
6) anything else i might have forgotten

UPDATE: I suggest we (whoever wants to take a very active role in this) meet up tomorrow, at eleven at Barrista, St. Marks' Road. The agenda is to finalize date, time and exact mode of protest: from where to march. I think after the march we should call a press conference at PTI where we can formally hand over a copy of the letter of protest to the media. Also, medemon pleaase try to make it as you said you have some ideas about this. Sunu, mandar, swar- please make it. chamique, you too. Vignesh is unfortunately out of the country, but he has promised virtual support. Does anyone know how to get in touch with the police. We also need to discuss media management tomorrow, both print and visual.

UPDATE 2: there was a meeting yesterday attended by arka, chamique, bem, sunu and mailer demon (who's been nice enough to agree to design nice arm-bands etc. for the demonstration.
Things discussed were:
1) Why this protest? Is it just an emotional response? What will it accomplish?
The general agreement: the fundamental issue at stake here is the freedom of expression. It was also discussed that freedom of expression is not a blanket endorsement of libertarianism, but that it implies the right to voice one's rational opinions, and that is what had been repressed in Gaurav's case. As an extesnion, it was a moment of truth for the blogging community, something which affected our identites as bloggers qua bloggers. Hence, this demonstration, more than anything, is to be symbolic statement- of our identities as bloggers, and of the fact that we take our role seriously and responsibly, and are willing to stand by our words.
It was also decided to highlight the fact that blogging now plays a mature and responsible role in dissemination of information and in coming to the aid of society at large, sometimes in ways that mainstream media cannot. (for instance the role played by bloggers in the tsunami crisis, in Iraq, after the London blasts, the Mumbai rains). In the same spirit, this too was an attempt by a blogger to voice his opinions and make society at large aware of what he thought to be unscrupulous practices by a so called educational institution. The price he has had to pay for that is unacceptable.
It was also discussed that after the initial flurry of posts, etc., the three people at the centre of it all, gaurav, rashmi, and varna, shouldn't suddenly find themselves alone and friendless. Hence, this is also to be a show of solidarity towards them.
Now about the when and the how.
THE DEMONSTRATION IS TO BE ON MONDAY THE 24,TH. IT WILL BE A SILENT SIT-IN DEMONSTRATION. WE ARE YET TO FINALIZE THE EXACT MECHANISM, BUT THE TENTATIVE PLAN IS THAT WE'LL SIT IN FRONT OF IIPM BANGALORE IN THE MORNING FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR, AND LATER ADDRESS THE MEDIA AT A DIFFERENT VENUE, WHERE WE SHALL HAND OVER A FORMAL STATEMENT, TO BE SIGNED BY ALL MEMBERS OF BLOGBANG, AND ALSO A MEDIA RELEASE.
Before this, by thursday, we shall give out a pre-release to the media. I, chamique and bem will co-ordinate the writing efforts.

It is also requested that all members of Blogbang carry the media-releases and the statement on their blogs
Other things that were decided: We shall speak to legal entities and the law enforcement authorities. We shall also, by co-ordinating with the media, try to make non-bloggers aware of this, especially, we shall try to garner support from well-known people in other creative fields (theatre, literature and the arts) academics (real management gurus for instance), and also take this to the campuses, especially journalism colleges and departments of journalism in mainstream colleges. To this end, I have already spoken extensively to one of the foremost newspapers from the mainstream media, and efforts to get in touch with the visual media are underway.
One last, and very important thing: A lot of people have already expressed their willingness to be a part of this. Many of you have already commented. If you are convinced that you want to join, in addition to leaving your name here, I request you to mail me your name and number at arka.01@gmail.com. This is just so that we have a way to co-ordinate and keep in touch, especially on d-day. please mark your mails as "protest" in the subject line. Once you have committed, please do not back out.

Freedom Curbed, Freedom Challenged

2005-10-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

The past few days have seen a storm of proportions fit to anger and agitate any blogger. Over the past few days a fellow blogger, Gaurav Sabnis, has been the target for legal as well as antisocial, un-constitutional action by the IIPM. Why? For writing a post on his personal blog, linking to a published article that openly questioned the veracity of the IIPM's claims in their ads. And for adding his own queries to those already raised. Was he wrong to doubt the IIPM and to question their version of the truth? Perhaps, from where the IIPM are looking at the issue. But since when did this make it right for the IIPM to not only issue a notarized legal notice via email, threatening arrest, damage claim et al for Gaurav's "deliberate and fraudulent intentions", but to also harass both Gaurav and his employer, IBM, by threatening to burn the IBM H/W the IIPM had purchased?

Guarav has every right to ask what questions he may, right or wrong. We do NOT live in a police state, our thoughts and opinions regulated and dictated by the Powers that Be. We are Indians, born with the freedom to think, to choose and to speak. And to stand firm by our rights. Gaurav Sabnis has stood by his rights and refused to either delete his 'offending' post or to issue a retraction of his opinions. And he has voluntarily resigned from IBM, in protest against the pressure from IIPM, firm in his belief and with trust in his merits. More power to him.

I, however, see it as the duty of IBM to have stood by Gaurav, and not allowed him to resign just to save potential embarrassment and loss of H/W revenue. What is the worst that would have happened? The IIPM would have burned many lakhs of rupees worth of laptops. And would have cut their own nose off to spite their face. Would this have in any way lowered the intrinsic value of the IBM laptop and their technology? No. Would this have given other IBM customers pause before a buying decision? I don't think so. As I see it, whatever negative press there may be, around the burning of the laptops, would be more than offset by seeing IBM exercise social responsibility, and extending support to an employee whose basic constitutional and human rights are being challenged. All the more so when he has explicitly stated that his personal views are no means those of his employer.

It would be a sad, shameful thing if, today, Gaurav is denied employment on account of this issue. Especially when the IIPM should be taking the original authors of the article to task, if at all they have published wrong information. Nor is he the only one to be asking these questions. It is not a matter of whether the questions raised against the IIPM are right or wrong. It is not a question of whether the IIPM's ads are making true claims or false. That's not it at all.

It's a question of Freedom. The freedom of the average person to have doubts. Freedom to question and the freedom to share opinions. It is a question of Gaurav Sabnis's, and in fact anyone's, freedom of speech.

Today, the IIPM has moved to silence one individual who has, in an open forum, raised his voice against them. They, and others like them, must never again be allowed to make such a move against anyone, blogger or no.

(Crossposted on 'From The Chaos')

Sue Me

2005-10-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

In the ancient land of India, there once was a parichalan gurukulam. Now, nothing out of the ordinary with that- there are millions of such gurukulams in that venerable land, so many, that at times it stood a fair risk of turning into a nationfull of parichalaks parichalan-ing each other. However, this was no ordinary gurukulam- far from it, because it was powered by the whiffs of coconut oil emanating from The Ponytail, the most potent chicken counting entity in the universe. Or it might have been the other way rounds, but that's rather a chicken and egg problem, so we shall let that pass like all good fairytales. Anyhow, to go back to the story at hand, this was no ordinary gurukulam- for it dared to think beyond. Beyond what, you ask? Why, beyond those crusty old pettyfoggers- the bharatiya parichalana sangsthas, who thought parichalan was all about, well, parichalan. What? you thought so as well? You neanderthal, don't you know parichalan, the new-age parichalan at least, is all about dreaming (and counting chickens, of course) - for who can deny the power of a dream? It is at the heart of every great human achievement. "Who is John Galt?", you ask? He, obviously, was the man who dreamed. And still dreams- of swimming pool embellished campuses, of three-million rupee plus salary packages, of a posse of international parichalan luminaries dispensing their pearls of wisdom. What, those dreams are opium-induced, you say? A plague on you. The devil take thee. You must belong to that very brood of Cain, the antarjalik roznaamchakaris. So it is all a mass of manure, you say? The rankings, what about the rankings? The 4-th for cleanest toilets, the secnd for variety of potted plants, the first, no less, for quality of photoshop art in virtual campus tours? What, those numbers are as imaginary as the number of copies sold of that watershed in the realm of human thought, "count your chickens before they hatch," you say? I'll show you, you journalist, you. I'll burn a million computers, you &(&*(&*(^*%^*(&)*()()$#^%&^, you &(&(*(, you blogger. I'll sue you for e exp(i.pi) + 1 billion rupees, I'll ravish your unborn greatgrandchildren, I will unleash the full dreaming potential of His Ponyness, you just wait and see. Just you wait, pesky blogger, just you wait.

Note: In case I have not been blatant enough in the post, let me remove any vestiges of doubt here. Based on the many newspapers advertisements released by the Indian Institute Of Planning and Management, as also the material on their website, that I have come across, I have reached the conclusion that their grandiloquent rhetoric is nothing but a malicious attempt to mislead and dupe the public at large. None of the many tall clamis made by IIPM, about the facilities they offer, about their panel of visiting facculty, about their exemplary placement record, appear to be substantiated in any of their own websites, or elsewhere on the web. The credentials of the dean of this institute, Mr. Arindam Chaudhuri, also appear to be highly suspect, and no documentation of his contribution to any branch of management or any of their allied fields thereof are available, except epithets such as "management guru," "personality of the decade" etc. which are only to be found on Mr. Chaudhuri's personal website and those under the aegis of IIPM. Even Mr. Chaudhuri's academic credentials are rather suspect. In view of the above facts, it is my personal belief and opinion, which I am expressing here in this website managed by me, on the domain blogspot.com (reference blogger.com) that IIPM is a perpetrator of false advertisement ammounting to fraud, with the express intention of achieving moneytary gains from the said advertisements. As a citizen of India, I believe it is my fundamental right to hold and profess these opinions. I invite IIPM to initiate any legal action they deem appropriate if they think otherwise.
However, that is not all. I stronly condemnt the dastardly way in which IIPM has reacted to the recent criticism against it by JAM magazine and by Mr. Gaurav Sabnis on his blog. I particularly resent the way it has acted (as I believe) in forcing the chain of events to such an impasse that Mr. Sabnis was left with no recourse but to resign from his position with his employer, thereby depriving him of his means of livelihood. In view of the above facts, I propose that the community of Indian bloggers, en masse, file a PIL against IIPM, asking for damages to the tune of Rs. Ten Billion, ( One Thousand Crore), an eighth of which is to be paid to Mr. Sabnis, an eighth to Ms. Rashmi Bansal, and a fourth to be utilized in setting up an trust for research into the social impact of blogging as an organic medium of communication and also the creation of a fund to indemnify bloggers against future harassemnt from any source, individual, corporate or otherwise. I propose that this be named "The Arindam Chaudhuri Foundation for Blogging Rights and Research Into the Importance of Blogging." The remaining Five Hundred Million Rupees should be donated to any trust, fund, etc. working on relief operations for the Kashmir earthquake victims.

Further, as one of the founders of the Bangalore bloggers' community, I ask all members to join in a peaceful protest march and demonstration in front of IIPM, Banglaore, to culminate in the delivery of a formal letter of protest to the campus director, or anyone in an equivalent position. I further urge bloggers' communities in other places to carry out similar protest marches to the nearest IIPM centre/office.

Arka Mukhopadhyay

cross-posted on kaashyapeya.blogspot.com
Please leave your thougts/ideas about the proposed protest march and letter of protest/other forms of protest there or here.

Beyond Blogging: Volunteering at Akshara Foundation II

2005-10-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Col. Murthy Rajan of Akshara Foundation regarding Bangalore Bloggers' interest in volunteering there.

He was very excited to hear from us and gave me the details of a huge project they are undertaking in association with the Karnataka State Education Department. This is a long-term project whose aim is to improve reading and math skills in about 1,30,000 (1 lakh 30 thousand) primary school children all over the city.

Akshara will need help in gathering, tabulating and analysing data pertaining to these children, documenting the whole process, in addition to actually working with the children on their reading and math. The data gathering process will start over the next few weeks and will culminate in June-August of 2006 when the children will go through Akshara's lesson plans.

He agreed that we could do most of the work on the weekends. I've set up a meeting with Col. Rajan on October 22nd (Saturday) to get all the details and work out the logistics of how we can make this work.

This sounds like a great project for our group. Not only will we be contributing time and talent where it's needed, but we will also have the satisfaction of seeing something through from start to finish.

More details within the next couple of weeks!

Update: The meeting did not take place as planned because of a conference Col. Rajan had to attend over the weekend (I was rather glad because I was in no state to make it). We've rescheduled it to next Saturday, October 29th. I'll keep you updated as and when there is something to report. Thanks!

October Bangalore Bloggers' Meet

2005-10-09T01:06:00.000-07:00

Some fifteen odd Bangalore bloggers congregated at Infinitea on Cunningham Road on Saturday, October 8th for the Fourth Official BlogBang Meet. For the lowdown on the Third Official BlogBang Meet, see here.

The upper floor of Infinitea holds seven tables which can accomodate about 25 people, but when the venue was being chosen, none of us accounted for the non-Bangalore Blogger patrons of Infinitea. Suffice to say that when I arrived, I found six of my fellow bloggers huddled together around a table meant for four and the rest of the place packed.

The first to arrive was, of course, Eager Beaver Mandar, who sent me an SMS at, mark this, 4:29 pm to say he had arrived and was waiting! He was a full half-hour early, but did not bring a placard to identify himself despite exhortations to the contrary. So after wasting some time sitting by themselves, not knowing who the other bloggers were, etc. Pradeep Nair, Aditya, Surjo, KVK, Mandar and Swar found each other and contemplated various ways to encroach on the available real estate.

Right next to our table was a couple (a Knight in Shining Armor and his Lady Love) who must have thought they had a cozy corner of Inifinitea to themselves. Until the cozy corner was invaded by a noisy bunch of bloggers, that is. We gave them sidelong glances, trying to figure out what stage of the whole Infinitea experience they were in - the beginning, middle or end. They must have received the vibes we were sending over, because soon, the Knight asked for the bill. Unfortunately, however, our quest for more space wasn't going to end so easily or quickly. The Knight had trouble paying the bill because he only had a debit card and Inifinitea had trouble with their debit card swiping machine. So he went down to the billing counter to figure out an alternative leaving Lady Love alone, cornered and feeling antsy.

Finally, about 20 minutes later, during which time Ambar, Akas h, Sunu, Veera, Arka, Anurag and Arvind had arrived, Lady Love wiggled out of her corner and made her way down. We promptly had the table cleared and joined that and one other table together. Just as we were settling down, we noticed a wallet on the sofa, found twelve claimants for it (all in good jest, of course), but upon closer examination of the wallet, found a picture of a younger Lady Love inside. We all looked around wildly for Lady Love, and thankfully found her Knight still at the billing counter downstairs. So we threw down the wallet to him (may be that solved his bill paying woes) and finally settled down to business.

What business you ask? Ordering tea, of which the choices were mind-numbingly complicated (at the end of one perusal of the menu, you actually need some tea to snap out of the befuddlement), introducing yourself and finding out who everyone else is, carrying on side conversations, and conversations across the entire length of the table from one corner to the other while a couple of others are trying to do the same on the other diagonal. Four of us finally settled for some Masala Chai (on Sunu's recommendation), Ambar got some green concoction (what was it Ambar?), Arka got some Darjeeling tea, and the guys at the other end of the table got a pot of tea which steadily got bitter as the seconds rolled by.

As the conversations were chugging along, Swar and Sunu left to catch a showing of Spirited Away, Pradeep and Anurag went back to work (or so they told us, may be they were getting the hell away from the rest of us as quickly as possible) and KVK and Mandar went out for a smoke. By this time, it was p-o-u-r-i-n-g.

I really don't know what's going on with Bangalore. Over the past few days, we've had downpours of the heaviest kind - the kind where the sky just opens and dumps rain. No drizzle to give you a hint that there may be rain on the way. No siree! Apparently, the clouds have no time to be polite.

Of course, every time it rains, the power has to go. The combination of hot tea, no fans/AC, and an over-crowded mezzanine floor was most unpleasant. Thankfully, the company was good.

For those who were not at the meet, these are the points to note:

the plan is to set aside a specific day of the month for furture meets. Henceforth, the Bangalore Bloggers' meets will take place on the second Saturday of every month;

venues will be decided during the week before the meet. The alternative is to pick a venue and stick to it for every meet. At least that way, we know what we're getting in terms of available space, etc.; and

everyone is excited about doing something as a group, and volunteering time at Akshara, in particular.

The meet finally broke up at 7 pm. With the skies still coming down in buckets, we all made our way down considering plans for the next meet.

Note: The bloggers for whom I don't have the links, please send them to me and I'll update the post. Thanks.

Crossposted on Blogpourri.

Update: Thanks Anurag, for the url details.

My scrapbook of Bangalore

2005-10-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

I see Life as a series of "freeze-frames" that capture a piece of time, and add definition to the picture of our own lives. From the entire stack, that comprise my own passage through time, here are a few that, for me, define the experience that is Bangalore. Some of these, sadly, remain only a memory today, having given in to the fast pace of change:

Leisurely strolls down an almost-empty MG Road, after 10 pm, kept company by chai-vendors, rickshaws and other night owls
The coloured lights strung out over the Brigade Road stretch during the New Year and all Festival seasons
Chatpata churmuri, eaten at the handcart in front of Plaza theatre, chased down by tangy tomato slices with pori on them
Browsing through the racks at British Library, surrounded by other people interested in more than just the next best-seller, on a weekend morning
Heading downstairs to Koshy's, after the above browsing, and reading, over sandwiches and pots of coffee, in the smoke-filled haze
Catching sight of Girish Karnad, at the next table, through said smoke-filled haze!
The dusk-to-dawn magic of Vasanthahabba, experienced through a chill February night, marked by the red-dust at Hesargatta and never-ending wonder
Arundati Nag MC-ing Vasanthahabba
Waiting in line, from 6:30am, for breakfast at MTR (coffee served in silver tumblers!)
Scrounging food, after midnight, at the Hilals, the Tajs and the carts of Shivajinagar
Puliogare and thatte idlis at Cadambams, followed by hot, filter coffee
The STRAND Book Festival
Second-hand bookshops in the alleys around MG Road, where you can 'borrow' a book for a measley fee!
Chowdiah Memorial for innumerous plays and concerts, surrounded by a Bangalore that truly appreciates
Scrambled eggs on toast, at India Coffee House, followed by a masala dosa that you MUST eat with a fork and knife
Rosgulla chat at Gangotri
Masala puri with dum aalo at KC Das. And being mistaken for a Bengali as you leave, pot of misti doi in hand :o)
Endless evenings of friends, food and fooling around at Casa's
Dosa camps that save the life of many a hungry night-shifter
Akkirotti dinners in front of Canara Bank on Mission Road
Speed runs down the inner ring road, to test out a friend's bike / car, after midnight
Standing on the roof watching the jets come back after the Air show

Errm...as you would have probably figured out, by now, Food plays a huge role in the memories I make :o)

Bloggers' Meet - 8th October

2005-10-04T02:07:00.000-07:00

After much ideating, deliberation and humongous exchange of email, the Bangalore Bloggers' October Meet is finally going forward! 8th of October, 5pm, Infinitea on Cunningham Road.

Be there! :o)

Bloggers' Meet in October - When?

2005-09-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

Pick a date folks...remember to vote only once ; majority wins!

It raineth, It poureth...

2005-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

...and Bangalore floateth. Beats me why its raining this hard (no, I don't listen to the weather analysis, and I don't work at the meteorological department!) but what with today's Bharat Bundh keeping the kids and most autos off the roads, atleast office-goers mercifully have a whole lot less havoc to navigate through!

Pull on your flippers, Bangalore, the drains have just invaded the roads. Yeeesh.

Bloggers Meet - September

2005-09-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Since we are having problems with the day, here goes a simple poll to choose the day. Please click only once to select a day and give your vote.

A Tale of Two Cities...

2005-09-15T01:55:00.000-07:00

Namma Bengaluru and Aamchi Mumbai...

I returned last night from the city of Vada Pav and "Ganapati Bappa Moriya!". I came back from seeing a city ravaged by the recent onslaught of the rains, and yet smiling as it greets fresh showers and dancing as it takes it's utsav murtis to the seaside for "Visarjan". "I love Mumbai in the rains" said one of the people I met during my day, affirming the strength of spirit of a city that has seen bodies of its families floating past in those very same rains. "I love Mumbai during Ganapati, going around town seeing the various society Ganapatis.." vowed another. And I too was overwhelmed by the spirit of the people around me, walking, dancing, laughing in the constantly descending rains, as they proceeded in slow congress towards the beaches, accompanying their respective Ganapatis. The spirit went beyond the immediate group and engulfed even passersby, attracted everyone irrespective of caste, creed or religion. But, for a city with a much vaunted public infrastructure, I also saw Mumbai grind to a slow crawl in places as traffic snarls, rain-damaged roads and inconsiderate motorists attacked.

What struck me was how Mumbai today is what Bangalore is steadily working its way towards. And I am not lauding the survival and community instincts here. I am referring to the similarity, to the Mumbai I saw, coming from the state (or lack thereof) of our roads, our traveling public and the sheer chaos that greets you at every turn. And from the fact that Bangalore is today turning into what Mumbai started out being - a destination for everyone who wants to find their fortune.

Back home I landed to greet a Bengaluru taking a break from the rains, cool, breezy and relatively more quiet and composed even on Day 8 of the Ganesha festival. Bangalore takes its festivals seriously, but festivals don't "take" Bangalore the way they do it's sister up in the West. You will find warmth, joy, festivity within your homes and families and with your friends. But you will rarely find an occasion to share this with absolute strangers, both of you never rendered same, equal and joined in some common cause. Here the festivals are about family, not about community.

I sometimes wonder if there does exist a common thread, here in Bangalore, that winds its way through the lives of all Bangaloreans and gives us a sense of oneness. Does Bangalore make people here profess love for any part of the city they have made their home, forcibly or otherwise? I sometimes wonder if today's Bangalorean sees this city as more than just a means to fulfill the immediate needs of Life. Do we care about our city?

Beyond Blogging: Volunteering at Akshara Foundation

2005-09-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

One of the things we had discussed at the last Bangalore Blogger's meet was doing something together as a group with children. Many of you may have already heard of the good work that Akshara Foundation is doing for the children of our city. If you haven't, please take a look at their website.

I talk to them today about volunteering at the foundation for a couple of hours every week, reading to the children, helping with school work, playing with them and so on. The volunteer coordinator there asked me to put together an e-mail about what we would be interested in doing with the children, when we would be available during the week or weekends, for how long, etc.

I am hoping that we can go together as a group for a few hours every weekend or every other weekend, depending on Akshara's needs. If you are interested, please leave a comment to this post with details of your availability. I am really looking forward to working with the children and getting to know you beyond your blogs.

A Local Market Preps for the Ganesha Festival

2005-09-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Ganesha festival is right around the corner and markets in Bangalore are resplendent with color. The Jayanagar 4th Block market is no exception.

The Jayanagar market is a haven for old-style stores (no Fabmalls, Coffee Days or Big Bazaars in the good ol' complex). It is the mecca of old-style shopping, the kind in which you haggle shamelessly. No bar codes or scanners here.

The complex itself is sprawling and has many entrances. In addition to book stores, luggage stores, clothes and shoe shops, and a supermarket, the shopping complex is home to an indoor market with a maze of shops selling everything from vegetables, fruits, and stationery to all the items you need for a puja.

While plantain shoots and mango leaves arrive at the market only during festivals...

....flowers are a daily feature

The indoor market has four entrances. All the pathways leading upto the four entrances are prime real estate and on any given day, these pathways are permanently lined with fruit, vegetable and flower stalls. On days preceding a major festival, the pathways themselves become the destination. More stalls manage to appear in already cramped spaces. You could get away with not bothering to enter the enclosed market.

Which would be a pity.

The enclosed market is an ode to stimulus overload. For the first time visitor, it is nothing short of an assault on the senses.

The scent of agarbathis and camphor clashes in mid-air with the mild stench of the just-beginning-to-rot fruits and vegetables. The flower stalls try to out-do them all, but in vain.

The makeshift shop on the right specializes in Ganesha and Gowri idols.

A tiny shop within the complex holds everything you might need for the puja.

There are stores that sell only coconuts, all the same brown color, and there is a whole lane of stores devoted to decorating items in every shade, even some that nature never intended. There are stores that make and sell photographs of gods right next to a store selling pets. There are stores selling crimson kumkum and sunny yellow haldi and then there are stores that sell decorations made in plain white cotton. There are stores that sell carpets, clocks, steel utensils, sheets, towels, plastic papers and cups, napkins, decorations for birthday parties, and stores that sell hooks to hang your mosquito nets.

Mounds of kumkum and haldi...

...mimicked by mounds of fruit.

Shoppers crowd around the tiny shops, all vying for the attention of the shopkeeper at the same time. No lines here. Lung power trumps chronology. Shopkeepers with no shoppers at their stalls call out hopefully, "En beku madam? Banni nodi" ("Madam, what do you want? Come, see").

One circumnavigation of the market is enough to make you want to see the light of day.

An entire row of shops dedicated to decorations.

Crossposted on Blogpourri.

ATMs & Akkirotti

2005-09-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

This being my first post on this blog, it has to be something about namma bengaluru! And for a foodie like me, nothing better than to wax eloquent about grub!

By day a simple, nondescript ATM, up the stairs and right next to the entrance to the Bank. But by night, a haven for the hungry. As the darkness falls and the stars twinkle on, the stairs to this ATM transforms into an alfresco dining experience, fronted by a trestle table and a portable hot-plate-style stove. And what does one dine on here? Rottis and dosas and idlis and omlettes. But the show stealer is the Rotti (no, I haven't mis-spelt 'roti'...I mean the famous down-south rotti!)...in every form...akkirotti, raagirotti, jholadarotti...**drool drool**!

You come, you ask, you get served steaming hot rottis with a variety of chutneys, you munch and then you swoon with delight. Then you get up and do it all over again...this is the true finger-licking-good experience.

And where this magical Akkirotti ATM be? Mission Road, before the flyover...smack in front of Canara Bank (or mebbe it's SBI...I have always been too busy eating to notice!), opposite Ad Labs or some such photo joint. Rottis on offer only in the evenings and the best times be from 7-9pm.

Don't just take my word for it...go and try it out for yourselves!

Freedom Curbed, Freedom Jammed

2005-08-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Freedom Jam happened last saturday, 10 days after the date it was supposed to happen.

As we all know Freedom Jam is a yearly show happening on Aug 14th to celebrate (whatever) Independance Day. And the most important part is...its supposed to be an ALL NITE concert. Well...thanks to our great cops and whoever I have no idea about, this year it happened from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

First, they take away our fun and then they curb our freedom. Man, it just pissed me off to no end when I heard the timings.

Everything included, it still was a great place to be. Great bands and a big hifi for the Indian Rock scene.

To my credit, I got lost only twice this time.

LIFE???

2005-08-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Everyman's City

LIFE-What does it mean?? Is it the way that every human being in this world is living or want to live??

I got a SMS some time back and i want to share it..

"Somebody once asked GOD ,What suprises you most about mankind?.God replied.. they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. By thinking anxiously about the future they forgot the present..such that they live neither for the present nor for the future."

Every human being in this world especialy indians are going through different stages whether they want or not like.

Here i am going to tell how a male transformed through out his life.

When the child is born till he complete his college life he has to live according to the likes and dislikes of his parents.(say 0.1 to 21yrs).

Next stage is the bacheorhood:When he finishes his studies he has to choose his livings whether he wants or not.that means job.So at this point of time only a man started to think about his own life. When he started to live for himself there will lot of distractions either in the form of siblings who want his attention over them or girlfriend who occupies his whole time for her entertainment.So here again a person is not able to live for himself.

Next stage Marriage: Between 25-30 yrs of age almost every person in india is tend to tie with a girl either of his choice r by parents (simply termed as attempt sucide or planned murder).After this he has to life for the others like wife and children.

He realise and find the true life when he is in the second childhood at that point of time he can not decide abything by himself.

PS: Am also a victim for this cycle of life.

My typical Weekday algorithm in Bangalore

2005-08-26T03:20:00.000-07:00

Hey guys..just a rant about a usual working day..if anyone wants to know where i will be in a week day..this is a good guide..he he

1)7:45 AM -start hearing early morn sounds in half sleep

2)7:50 AM -open one eye and look for the remote and watch the last ten minutes of "hollywood squares"

3)8:00 AM :- watch 15 minutes of "whose line is it anyway"

4)8:15 AM :- ponder over whether I should be going to work

5)8:16 AM :- Picture my boss with a pink papyrus and a golden handshake..rush to the bath.

6)8:24 AM :- Out of Bath and suddenly realise i didnt brush

7)8:27 AM :- Give Anwin and Naveen a disgusted look , still sleeping (their office starts
later).

8)8:28 AM :- take stairs two at a time for two floors and reach the car.

9)8:29 AM :- take stairs three at a time and run upstairs to fetch the car keys.

10)8:32 AM:- take a 6KM drive to office..mostly I find myself behind the leaning busses of Bangalore, Auto's who dont realise that people can't see their hand when they are making turns!, motorcyclists who want to poke their tyres noses in every crack and makes me want to shove something up theirs!

11)8:45 AM:- Stuck at NGEF junction..Play songs with the most expletives.

12)8:55 AM:- Stuck at CV Raman Nagr junction.

13)9:05 AM:- At office 5 minues late..yup it takes me 35 minutes to get to office on an average!!! and its only 6 KM's..you do the math!

14)9:10 AM:- switch on laptop..it takes ages because of my very special collection of viruses and ad-sites.

15)9:15 Am:- Act busy!! check mail, look at blog updates etc etc

16)9:45 AM:- Start actual work

17)10:30 AM:- ThenRaj(on his way to work) calls me for coffee and we typically end up in cafe day or barrista(bugger has expensive taste!)..Both of us get the same mild cardiac arrest after the bill comes and proceed back.

18)1:5 PM:- ThenRaj calls again and reminds me that we need another cardiac arrest for lunch..so we wind up in Nala(south Indian joint, try their mutton egg chops) or wanleys or our friendly neighbourhood Kerala hotel(good kerala food, try the fish there).

19)1:45 PM:- Back to work..

20)1:46 PM:- All work and no play makes Anoop a dull boy..so its dominoes and chess and pool on yahoo.

21)2:15 PM:- Back to work..no breaks after that.

22)4:30 PM:- ThenRaj calls for tea..I, politely give him the finger and get back to work.

23)7:00 PM:- going home time!!!!

24)7:45 PM:- Home at last!..settle down to watch some TV

25)8:30 PM:- Order/buy dinner for everyone at home..had to kick out our last cook cuz she made "auto" shankar, veerappan etc look like petty thieves!

26)9:30 PM:- Mom calls and reminds me that I have to go to church on sundays( she does this everyday..and yet I forget it on sunday..I must be really selective in my amnesia)

26)10:30 PM:- The night owl's Naveen and Anwin come home. We share ALL our experiences during the day.

27)10:30 PM and 35 sec later, flick thru channels again

28)12:00 PM:- zzzzzzzzzz

Blogbang the gang invites you

2005-08-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry guys I couldn't resist that title.

Anyway, anyone from Bangalore or in Bangalore and with an avid interest in Bangalore as a city can leave a comment for this post and I will invite them to this blog.

Please remember guys this is all about collective work and fun. Yes, we could have lots of fun as a big group, meet new people and do something worthwhile for the City, Every man's City, Bangalore. So it is much appreciated if stories and poems are avoided, unless of course they contain a message contributing to the general idea and aim of this blog "BANGALORE.

And we love you all.

And Miles To Go...

2005-08-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

Thenraj had this comment to one of the previous posts. This is something I've been thinking about as well.

Thenraj said...

Hi guys!

Hope everybody is fine:)

In our last meet we had a serious discussion about the information site (Website).
We are only in the early stages. how we are goin to develop this in to an effiecent one? How to contact the moderators only thru this blog r groups is there any other way? And miles to go....

How do we coordinate and get ahead with what we want to do as a group? We had discussed designing this site to be a one-stop source for news and info about Bangalore, not just those taken from newspapers, but things that are in our personal experience as well.

In addition, about doing something for Bangalore, my initial thought is that we could band together and do some work with children's groups. If there is enough interest in the group, may be we can even split into different groups to work on various issues. This blog could serve as a beautiful way of centralized coordinating.

Anwin, may be we could have a poll like you did for the shoutbox thing.

Please comment folks.

Can't get photos up

2005-08-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I'm trying to put the photos of the blog meet up, but with no success. Hope to have them on by the end of the day.

Shoutbox poll

2005-08-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

Bangalore Bloggers' Meet

2005-08-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

We came, we saw, we drank (only coffee and tea, alas!), we ate, we gabbed, we shouted over each other's voices, we exchanged our names and our blogs and the scoop on what we did in "real" life. Sometimes a spark of recognition ("yeah, I've read your stuff"), other times a few blank stares, but close to three hours later, we had to force ourselves to leave with everyone still talking and making plans at the top of their voices. I tell you, one thing the group did not lack was lung power. Remind me to take some ear plugs next time.

Mandar was the first one in, waiting patiently at a table for two with a handwritten note scribbled on a teeny-weeny napkin slung over one of those table placards at Sweet Chariot. I walked in and out a couple of times, not sure if this was the right place, so I called Mandar on his cell. He had spotted me going in and out. Of course, how could he miss me with my striking yellow kurta?

I walked back in and he pointed me to his 4"x4" banner which, unless I stared at him and his table rudely for a very long time, I would never have spotted. We got some coffee and fries, and while we waited for the others (we were expecting at least two more to turn up) Mandar enlightened me about his doctoral thesis on "web structures" and patiently answered my questions. You go Mandar!

KVK turned up next and brought with him a downpour and we resigned ourselves to the three of us making up the I-day Bloggers of Bangalore Bash. As if on cue, Vignesh called to say he was lost but on his way. Shrabonti and Arka showed up in an auto drenched from the top down. Mighty impressed with their commitment to the cause, I must say. Each time someone new came in, we would start the intros all around, convinced that no one else was going to turn up, but every 10 minutes or so, someone new would. Next came Anoop, Thenraj and Anwin, then Vignesh with Angeline and Lalit, followed by Sunayana and finally, Bhaskar.

So, there we were, thirteen (!) of us around three tables joined together on the first floor of the cake shop. It was a spacious room with a couple of comfy looking sofas in the far corner, at least 20 tables spread out across the rest of the room, and completely empty save for one pink birthday cake decorated with Barbie dressed as a princess (left outside in plain sight, but unfortunately out of our reach).

KVK was most bothered by the cake. Why was it there? Was there no one to claim it? He had even noticed the name on the cake - Katyayani. We pondered the name and the age of the birthday girl (such a classical name, for a young girl?) but our musings were cut short by the music system blasting Macarena so thoughtfully turned on for our listening pleasure by our waiter. With the decibel levels of our conversation steadily rising, we barely could hear each other speak, so we hollered over to the waiter to turn it off.

As each new person came in, the ones already around the table would scoot over and by the time everyone came, I found myself in a corner, with my back to the wall and with no means of escape!

After the introductions and a lot of cross-talk, the discussion finally came around to "What should we do, what can we do as a group? Should we use our collective blogging power for something meaningful (such as being a repository for useful information about Bangalore)?" Suggestions started flying around thick and fast. Anwin, Mandar and Arka desperately tried to monitor the decibel levels as well as the suggestions for punchlines and blog names (which included, among other things, nammooru, kothambri, menasinakaayi, oggrenne - all cooking related suggestions coming from me and greeted with incredulous looks from the rest).

Finally, we settled on http://everymanscity.blogspot.com/ for the name of our blog and Swalpa Adjust Maadi for our punchline. Will someone please remind me whose bright ideas these were? It would be nice to acknowledge them. I think Bhaskar, KVK and Arka came up with the good ones. Everyone was happy, except for Arka who was happy with the titles, but couldn't get over the fact that everymanscity would not have an apostrophe in the url.

Oh, and before I end this piece, all this was preceded by intense discussions about: i) what Shrabonti and Thenraj mean and their equivalents in other languages; ii) exactly what Sunayana's job description is (for the record, it is managing her company's intranet) and why we, the outsiders, cannot access the aforementioned intranet; iii) why Lalith named his blog sickle cell ("Whyiiii da?" was my reaction); iv) the things KVK had in common with (a) Mandar, (b) Shrabonti, and (c) Arka; v) why Vignesh had a grouse with at least three members of the group (he then had a grouse with me of course because I pointed it out to him); vi) whether Angeline's college looked like a five-star hotel; vii) why Anoop's firm had held up some important process over at Vignesh's (nodi swami, naavu irodu heegay, was Anoop's response); and viii) why Shrabonti did not show up in a tri-color mini skirt.

Thenraj, Bhaskar, Anwin, Anoop and Mandar also discussed the technicalities of banners and htmls and web hosts and bandwidth, which I am thankful to report, went clean over my head. A motely crew if ever there was one, this Bloggers of Bangalore, but a lovely group I must say.

P.S.:

1. If I've misspelt anyone's name, sorry, and please tell me.

2. Pics going up as soon as I figure out my camera.

3. KVK writes on Caferati and Shakespeare & Company (as James Joyce or Speckled Band)

Crossposted on Blogpourri.
___________________________________________________

Update: Photos

Our bill at the end of the three hours

Vignesh making a point. Next to him Angeline, Lalit and Bhaskar.
Across from him, Anoop.

Mandar and Anwin responding to Arka (not in pic).
Shrabonti and Sunayana trying to figure out who to listen to.

KVK flips through a novel I was reading during one of the few lulls in our conversation
as we ordered our coffees and stuff

Anwin explaining something as Anoop, Sunayana and Shrabonti listen

In the middle of all the action, the smokers took off for a smoking break
leaving us non-smokers (except Sunayana, that is) to bond. Sunayana did not go
because she did not have her special Indonesian brand with her that day.
Arka, far left, Sunayana, Bhaskar, Lalit and Angeline.

Thenraj, sorry, the one pic you were in is pretty dark.