Amazing Hobby Ideas

I've been fond of all forms of painting and glass painting, in particular. I've done a few Tanjore paintings before and tried my hand on glass painting as well. Never got the opportunity to enhance my skills through practice. A few days ago, as a matter of coincidence, I met a lady here who is quite talented; she has produced beautiful pieces of glass art, sketches, and tailors dresses beautifully. What appealed me the most was she isn't trained formally and learned it the DIY way with he help of books and Internet. That gave me the confidence to try again. Fevircyl Hobby Ideas was one series of books she mentioned time and again. I believe they have outlets in every city. So if you have a craving to try something, here's the opportunity to get started. Maybe paint your wooden coasters or that earthen pot with graphic designs?

On a closing note, hop over to Aarohi Singh's blog for inspiration. Here's an image of her work.



Image Courtesy : Aarohi Singh

A Blog on Book Shelves

Can you believe there's a blog dedicated entirely to book shelves? I was dumbstruck on seeing the mind-blowing designs for organizing books. I feel like an idiot now for spending two weeks on uninspiring sites and finally deciding on a run-of-the-mill shoebox design. Worth every second spent on this site.

What's Hot in Casual Wear for Women in India : Trends of Spring/Summer 2009

It's been an interesting week of real and window shopping that gave one a good insight into what's hot this season in women's casual wear. I present some of my favorites:



(This black and white printed dress teamed with jeans looks cool, with stores splashing variations in subdued colors. Flashy colors, bold designs, and floral prints are missing, except variations in red.)




Image courtesy : Pantaloons India



Image courtesy : Marks and Spencer, UAE



The striped blouse comes in variations in various colors and as a buttoned up skirt.

Are shirt dresses out this year?

Restaurants Serving Mediterranean Food in Bangalore

I love gorging on Hummus, Falafel, and Pita bread. I was first introduced to this cuisine at Reza's in Chicago. In an attempt to find some good restaurants that serve the finest Mediterranean food, this is what I found:

1. The Citrus at The Leela Palace

2. The Olive Beach

3. Ithaca at The Chancery Pavilion

4. Kebab Magic

5. Mediterranean Mezze

Other restaurants such as 100 ft Boutique, Sunny's, and Bangalore Bistro do not serve exclusive Mediterranean food.

Image Courtesy : Boston Globe

Book & Film Piracy a Thriving Business in India

Picture this. Ghajini released on Thursday, the 25th of December, 2008. On 27th December, Saturday morning, the DVD hawker outside my apartment was selling copies of Ghajini along with Rab Ne Bana De Jodi that had released a fortnight ago for 50 bucks. For a family to see the latest blockbuster in a multiplex in a city like Bangalore would cost no less than Rs. 1,000. Lack of affordable entertainment to the middle-class and proper infrastructure in tier-II cities is one of the main reasons for piracy being a booming business in India.

Business Standard reports:

Like many Indians, author and socialite Shobhaa De confesses she has watched Slumdog Millionaire on a pirated CD, much before its release in India.

The pirated copy of the movie is available for free on a number of peer-to-peer websites. Some of the accessed sites for downloading the movie are desibbrg.com, rapidshare.com, bhejafry.net and isohunt.com among others.

However, this is not restricted to Slumdog Millionaire (Slumdog Crorepati in Hindi) alone, as pirated versions of most of the recent big-budget movies are available for free downloading on the web. The copies of the recent big-budget movies such as Ghajini, Chandni Chowk to China and Rab Ne Bane Di Jodi were also available much before their release.

Piracy had cost Indian film and entertainment business a whopping $4 billion last year, with the film industry alone taking a hit of over $1 billion, according to an Ernst & Young and US-India Business Council study. Another independent study, puts the global entertainment industry losses over $18.2 billion as of 2008.

Yes, that's a staggering loss of over $18.2 billion in a year. In tier-II cities such as Trichy in Tamil Nadu, the same set of three latest movies in a DVD is available at one-third of the cost for Rs. 20. If one buys in a bulk, then it still lesser as compared to the standard Rs.50 in Bangalore. A few years ago, the piracy racket was busted and it was hard to get a DVD for atleast three weeks after the movie's release. That's now history. What intrigues me is the openness of the trade in metros. It's a common sight to see traffic police pick up these DVDs from the road-side vendors who are by the dozen at every major avenue/traffic intersection, doing brisk business. The only cost they incur is the cost of DVD which more often than not is reused.

The latest story doing the rounds is how Slumdog Millionaire tanked at the Indian box-office because of piracy.

The story is the same with paperback books sold on footpaths.

Seven Best Places in The World to Wine and Dine

The Hindu Magazine lists seven gastronomic wonders to wine and dine in :

The Still, The Dylan, Dublin

Avant-garde, retro-esque. The Dylan, Dublin’s hottest five-star hotspot in Ireland is home to “The Still”, their stylish fine dining pad. Lemon green and rosemary pink velvet couches sashay with charcoal grey sofas and pearl white art-deco chairs, as excellent Butterhead lettuce and Salmon Salad commence your sojourn, a 2006 Mantone Creek Sauvignon Blanc singing along.

Cinnamon Club, London

Pedro Larumbe, Madrid

The Spire, Queenstown

Grossi Florentino, Melbourne

Pure, The Taj, Mumbai

Ristorante Badessa, Turin

What are your favorite eat-outs from around the world?

Which is better - Q&A, the book or Slumdog Millionaire, the movie?

Ever since Slumdog Millionaire, the film adaptation of the book Q&A by Vikas Swarup, won four Gloden Globes, I've been itching to read the book and see the movie. Haven't been able to do either. Atleast not yet. Movie adaptations are generally far less exciting than the book, unless it is from an exceptional director.

Vikas Swarup had in an earlier interview said that only the soul of his work was retained and that he had expected the body to be mangled beyond recognition. So I set out to find what people thought: if the movie was better than the book or the other way around. Some opinions that impressed me:

Game of Life: Slumdog Millionaire

New York Times Movie Review of Slumdog Millionaire

Q&A by Vikas Swarup and Slumdog Millionaire

Dog in a Manger?


Edited to add:
I just read this interview by the movie's director Danny Boyle. A great insight into the director's experiences and his outlook on Mumbai and filming the movie.

A Symptom Checker Tool in India

Ever wondered what your illness is? You know the symptoms but can't ascertain what it is that you are suffering from? Manipal Hospital recently launched a symptom checker that can be a handy tool ..

Dev. D Movie Reviews

For some reason, I love the song "emosional atyachar" from Dev.D. I ROFL when the song plays - yes, it has that effect! I'm yet to see the movie but the reviews look encouraging...As always, I rely on Blogical Conclusion for an unbiased review of Dev. D.

Home Remedies for Cough and Phlegm

It's that time of the year (when isn't it?) when you cough for weeks on end with no relief. All you have is prescriptions and empty bottles of cough syrup after a month and yes, sleepless nights because of the coughing fit. In desperation, one turns to homeopathy and home remedies from allopathy and yes nothing works. Bangalore Times presents some new ideas which have been said to be effective against cold. Why not try this now?

Grapes: Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant, relieving a simple cold and cough in a couple of days. A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is advised for cough relief.
Almonds: Almonds are useful for dry coughs. Seven kernels should be soaked in water overnight and the brown skin removed. They should then be ground well to form a fine paste. A quantity of twenty grams each of butter and sugar should then be added to the paste. This paste should be taken in the morning and evening.
Onion: Raw onion should be chopped fine and the juice extracted from it. One teaspoon of the juice should then be mixed with one teaspoon of honey and kept for four or five hours — it will make an excellent cough syrup and should be taken twice daily. Onions are also useful in removing phlegm. A medium-sized onion should be crushed, the juice of one lemon added to it, and then one cup of boiling water poured on it. A teaspoon of honey can be added for taste. This remedy should be taken two or three times a day.

Healthy Foods for New Mothers

iVillage lists some great foods that are high on energy for new mothers.

As a new mom, you probably know a thing or two about feeling tired. Did you know, though, that the foods you eat can have a major impact on your energy level? Opting for a handful of nuts or dried fruit over a white-flour bagel won't just save you calories. It'll also help you fight hunger and give you energy. It's all in the choices. We recently featured eight power foods to help fill your tummy and wake you up. Here are just a few of them:

* Nuts: As we mentioned, these little guys are powerhouses! Almonds in particular provide lots of energy and can help you stay full without contributing to weight gain
* Low-Fat Dairy: Cottage cheese and yogurt are two of the healthiest things you can add to your diet. They're relatively low in calories, they taste great and the calcium doesn't hurt either
* Complex Carbs: Look beyond white bread to whole-grain crackers, oatmeal and high-fiber cereals
* Vitamin C: Whether you choose oranges, tangerines or pineapple, these nutrient-dense fruits are a delicious way to give your body a boost
* Salmon: Does it get any better than this? Salmon is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s and is a great source of lean protein

Bihar Cuisine: Looking for Litti Chokha in Bangalore?

I once happened to eat authentic Litti Chokha at a Bihari friend's place. If you've been searching for a restaurant that serves this delicacy in Bangalore, then your wait is over. Head over to Chilli Pepper at Marathahalli-KR Puram Ring Road. Bihari cuisine is served only on the weekends Friday through Sunday here and ensure you reach by 7:00 p.m. Our experience was pretty bad as no one turned up to take orders for well over 20 minutes. Finally, we lost patience and walked out. But Priya Bala's review doesn't seem all that bad and maybe worth a try:

The litti, in case you didn’t know, is a hard dumpling, so to speak, stuffed with spicy sattu flour, a staple of Bihar. These dumplings are baked and then served with the traditional accompaniments. There’s ghee made smoky with burnt chillies — and the more you pour on the better your litti will taste — with a simple baigan bharta, aloo ka bharta and green chutney. You crumble up the litti, let it soak in the accompaniments and have yourself a meal that appeals because of its sheer rusticity. At Chilli Pepper they also serve this with mutton and chicken curry.
This really is what this unassuming eatery on the Marathahalli Ring Road does best. For the rest, there’s the hugely Indianised version of Chinese with Paneer Ginger, Veg Garlic, Chicken Manchurian and the like. I saw lots of people ordering Sweet Corn Chicken Soup and Mixed Fried Rice, so there are obviously takers for the fare. Then they have catch-all North Indian which, of course, is different from the small Bihari selection available here. This segment comprises kebabs from the tandoor and the Chicken Tikka was perfectly good. They serve quite nice Prawn Fry in a light, crisp batter. It’s a long menu and you’ll have plenty of other starters to choose from as well.
RATING: FOOD 3.00 SERVICE 3.00 DECOR 2.75

Is it a Good Idea to Buy Property in Bangalore's Outskirts?

Well, Whitefield, Marathahalli, HRBR layout and Sarjapura may no longer qualify as outskirts considering they are the hub of activity - real estate boom, infrastructure boom, good roads connecting them to the city and airport. Times property gives you a lowdown on buying property in these developed suburbs..

The city's peripheral areas are suddenly the new city centres. This means the emerging neighbourhoods around Bangalore go beyond the present outskirts.
The IT industry wasjavascript:void(0) the prime driver of real estate around Bannerghatta Road, Koramangala, Sarjapur Road and Whitefield. Today, these localities have come closer to the city due to the series of road development projects providing vital connectivity.

A few real estate developers who have large land banks in the peripheral areas, have earmarked projects in Bangalore North and South for affordable housing. This kind of affordable apartment options are being made available in the range of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs depending on the floor area. Currently, three affordable housing projects, one in the north zone and two in the south - one near Mysore Road and the other on Sarjapur Road - are coming up on the city outskirts giving real estate development a different dimension.

10 Films to See Before you Die

Rajat Kapoor lists 10 films to see before you die:

Pyaasa (1957)
Singing in the Rain (1952)
Breathless (1983)
Rules of the Game
Suvarnarekha
8 1/2
Seven Samurai
Modern Times
Psycho
Apu Trilogy - The series is directed by Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali (Song of The Little Road), Aparajito (The Unvanquished) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu). Based on the works of Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, the trilogy is the best example in neorealistic cinema.

Countries with the Maximum NRI Population

PTI lists countries with substantial NRI population:



Source:NRI Online

Bangalore Airport is Fourth in Late Arrivals

Another feather in the cap for Bangalore Airport.

Forbes’ list of the most-delayed arrival airports in the world for 2008, in association with FlightStats, tracks historical and real-time flight information. Of the top five airports, three are Indian — Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, at No. 1, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, at No. 2 and Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), Bangalore, at No. 4.
The percentage of on-time arrivals at Mumbai airport was 49.95%, at New Delhi was 50.89% and Bangalore 60.16%. The Mohammed V International Airport, Casablanca, Morocco, occupied the No. 3 slot with an on-time arrival performance of 53.83%

Now we're competing with a relatively unknown destination in North Africa..way to go for the emerging economy!

Domestic Air Travel from Bangalore International Airport to Get Costlier

The Hindu Business Line reports that a user fee will charged on all domestic travel from January 16. The fee is fixed at Rs.260 for now..

Bangalore, Jan. 9 The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced Rs 260 as the domestic user development fee for Bengaluru International Airport. It will be effective from January 16.

The fee, inclusive of taxes, will apply to all domestic outbound travelers regardless of the date of booking or purchase of ticket, the operator, BIAL, said in a release here on Friday.

The fee will be paid at the airport counters located before the departure hall of the terminal building, it said.

Mr Albert Brunner, Chief Executive Officer, BIAL, said, “The approved UDF is an ad-hoc UDF. The final UDF will be decided by the Ministry of Civil Aviation after further reviews or by the regulatory body, (the proposed authority, which) will be appointed by the Government of India soon.”

BIAL has already been collecting a UDF of Rs 1,070 on international passengers since July 2008. It had sought a domestic user fee of Rs 675.

If it is indeed decided to levy a user fee of Rs.675 as speculated earlier, wonder if this will start competing with basic air fares. As it is, the cost of flying from Bangalore is high and now this.

The Worst Ads of 2008 in Indian Media

Economic Times' Brand Equity section carries a regular feature on best and bekaar ads. I loved the one they did on scam ads this week featuring the worst ads of December 2008. The comments were quite hilarious. My favorite picks:

Brand : Astron Kitchenware

We stared at this ad for Astron knives so long, we’re still seeing its afterimage . Not that any of that staring helped — we still haven’t a clue what that lump on that plate actually is. In a delightful piece of irony that would have made the Greeks proud, the brand’s baseline says ‘Nothing’s hard enough’ . Though our guess is hunting for the brand in the market might just prove to be even harder...

Brand : Ambuja Cement

It took us infinite patience to figure out how this ad reinforced the brand’s ‘Giant compressive strength’ proposition. Eventually we realized that this campaign stands scam-ad logic on its head — by not displaying the brand and its benefit in the ad! Now we wonder if award juries will end up banging their heads against doors — instead of walls — over this idea.

The print version had pictures accompanying the text which made for a more interesting reading.

Best Cake Shops in Bangalore

Think "Cakes" and "Bangalore" and the first thing that comes to mind in Sweet Chariot. Good marketing for Sweet Chariot I must say. But there's a lot more on offer at Bangalore from relatively unknown places or known outlets relatively not known for their good cakes. Here I list my top three choices for cakes from the places where I've had one:

1. Cake Walk - 297, 100 Ft Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore, Ph: 25205393

2. Sweet Chariot

3. Coffee Day - yea their cakes though comparatively very expensive are yummier, especially Black Forest.

Heard that Just Bake in Indiranagar serves good cakes as well.

How Expensive are Bangalore's Schools?

The Times of India recently reported how in Bangalore parents hit by recession are pulling out kids from expensive schools and looking at cheaper options. It's ironic that an engineering degree of four years comes almost at the same cost as that of a pre-nursery school and it just increases from there on.

A few international schools in Bangalore are witness to students dropping out after their parents lost their jobs. According to Lt Gen A r j u n R ay, Chief Executive, Indus Group, four s t u d e n t s dropped out after their fathers (airline pilots) were pink-slipped. The fee at Indus — one of Bangalore’s most expensive — varies from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh depending on the grade. Interestingly, Bethany School, a well-known institution in Koramangala, had five students from international schools enquiring about admission.
Job uncertainty is making the next academic season a fretful one for parents.”With no projects lined up for the next year, I had to get my son enrolled into a less-exp e n s ive school nearby, even if it means compromising on the quality,’’ said a civil engineer who works on independent projects. “Worries of job stability apart, I need to also look at making arrangements for Rs 1.2 lakh for both my kids by next March,’’ said a concerned parent who didn’t want to be identified. He had paid Rs 19,100 per child this year, but the fee structure announced for the next year is Rs 43,100 per child! Widespread concern over high fees which seem to be recession-proof has led to some upmarket institutions to mull fee freeze, or even a downward revision for next year.

Related Reading:
It’s already admission time in pvt schools!

Cheaper Ways to Get to Bangalore International Airport

Have you been using Meru or Easy Cabs services to get to and from Bangalore International Airport? Not too keen on commuting by those Red Volvo buses? For starters, the Volvo buses are a good option and the least expensive mode of commuting. I had refrained from using the bus service until recently. Then in a jiffy, I hopped onto one and was totally thrilled because one it was convenient, not time consuming at all and two, didn't put a hole in my pocket for the great service. alright, to be fair, you would have to spend atleast 25-50% extra time on the bus then you would in a taxi. But that's the price you pay for saving money. Here are some other options such as shared taxis you can consider for commuting to and from the airport.

Taxi Service Providers

* AirLift : 4052-8888 (Rs 300 to airport!)
* CelCabs: 6060-9090
* SGL Tours and Travels: 4299-4399
* Zoom Airport Express: 4219-6161 and 6561-1999, currently operating from KR Road

Basic Taxi Services

* Meru: 4422-4422
* EasyCab: 4343:4343
* Fares: Rs 15/km with waiting charge of Rs 60 per hour
* You pay at the end of the journey based on the metered charge. Credit card payment with printed receipt facility is available.
* Other cab services

Limousine And Car Rental

* Akbar Travels: 1-800-226-000
* Hertz: 99725-02292
* Choice of sel-driven or chauffeured cars
* Fare: indicative rate upto 25 km is Rs 1,200

Airport Shuttle Service

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has Volvo buses from various points of the city every 15 minutes to the Bangalore International Airport (BiAL). Contact details (it is not that easy to get a response from these call centers, better to book online),

* BMTC Control Room: Telephone No: 2295 2522 / 2295 2422
* BMTC, Kempegowda Bus Stand: Telephone No: 2295 2311 / 2295 2314
* BMTC, Shivajinagar Bus Stand: Telephone No: 2295 2321 / 2295 2324

BMTC (BIAS) bus routes to the airport are also available here.

Zoom TV's Top Five Bollywood Movies of 2008

The verdict is out. The movie that opened the last in box office in 2008 collected the maximum moolah with over 100% collections in its first week of release. Zoom has released the top five hits of 2008:

1. Ghajini
2. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
3. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
4. Singh is Kinng
5. Golmaal Returns

I'm very surprised that Jodhaa Akbar, Dostana and Fashion didn't make it to this list.

Image Courtesy: Zoom TV

Which is the Most Popular Newspaper in India?

Do you know which newspaper is the most popular in India? I've always thought it was The Times of India. It is true in one way as The Times of India is the largest circulated multi-edition daily but the circulation of other papers outdo for a single edition. The stats from Registrar of Newspapers of India give a clearer picture. The Times of India is a distant third as compared to its competitors Anand Bazaar Patrika and The Hindu.

The number of new newspapers registered during 2005-06: 2,074
Percentage of growth of total registered publications over the previous year: 3.43 %
The largest number of newspapers & periodicals registered in any Indian language (Hindi): 24,927
The second largest number of newspapers & periodicals registered in any language (English): 9,064
The state with the largest number of registered newspapers (Uttar Pradesh):9,885
The state with the second largest number of registered newspapers (Delhi): 8,545
The number of newspapers that submitted Annual Statements: 8,512
The total circulation of newspapers : 18,07,38,611
The largest number of newspapers & periodicals that submitted Annual Statements in any Indian language (Hindi): 4,131
The second largest number of newspapers & periodicals that submitted Annual Statements in any language (English) : 864
The largest circulated Ananda Bazar Patrika Bengali, Kolkata. : 12,34,122
The second largest circulated Daily: The Hindu ,English,Chennai (Printed from 12 different Printing Press):11,68,042
The third largest circulated Daily: Hindustan Times,English, Delhi: 11,36,644

The largest circulated multi-edition Daily: The Times of India, English(six editions):25,42,075
The second largest circulated multi-edition Daily: Dainik Jagran,Hindi,(fifteen
editions):21,11,316
The largest circulated periodical: The Hindu, English,Weekly, Chennai (Printed
from 12 different Printing Press):11,02,783

Related Reading : Snapshot of India's Newspaper Industry for 2008

Indian Newspapers Circulation Soars

Home Prices in Bangalore Move Northward..

Contrary to the popular belief that the global economic slowdown has made it easier to afford a new home in Bangalore, a study published in Times of India says home prices are moving upward.

It may sound unbelievable but property prices in the middle class localities grew at a much faster pace than posh areas between 2001 and 2007.
This has been revealed by the country’s first real estate price index, Residex, released by the National Housing Bank, to gauge house price movement over a six-year period both by localties and the size of houses in five cities of Delhi and Natonal Capital Region, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Bhopal.

The NHB Residex shows that realty prices have been showing an upward trend in all five cities. Bangalore (313) is at the top with a three-time increase followed by Delhi (298) and Mumbai (268).