“Lady, are you looking for my shop? Because I think I am looking for you”, said the man outside the sweet shop in Istanbul as he snipped off a piece of Turkish Delight and offered it to me. For the uninitiated, Turkish Delight is like a more user-friendly and colourful version of our halwa. Like ...

A number of important innovations have been reported recently, setting the tone for a resplendent 2013. To start with, two students from Surathkal have come up with the idea of manufacturing notebooks that carry ads. That’s right. Because there isn’t enough advertising in this country. I wonder if they will extend their idea to exam ...

Many years ago, I worked in a charming little software company. Like every other software company in India, we had American clients, good salaries, and an appalling sense of fashion. We also seemed to have a lot of trouble understanding the concept of time. Most mornings would pass in a haze of interminable meetings, tea-breaks, ...

[This is the unedited version of my column published 11 Nov 2012 in the Asian Age & Deccan Chronicle] Pre-Diwali spring cleaning was in full swing at home, when my dad handed me a stack of spotless cotton dhotis. “For donation”, he said, “Nowadays, I am preferring to wear these 3/4th pants at home. Very ...

[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 14 Oct 2012 in the Asian Age & Deccan Chronicle] A few months ago, the husband and I got to travel to Australia’s beautiful but remote Kimberley region. We were huddled around a campfire with Australia’s finest (which is to say, retirees with lots of ...

[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 15 Sept, 2012 in The Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age newspapers] Not a day goes by without someone being offended by something that was said or done. What exactly is going on? Is the number of offensive people on the rise? I put the blame ...

[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 22 July, 2012 in The Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age newspapers] I got a rude shock the other day. I went to see a doctor and she did several appalling things that you would never expect a self-respecting doctor to do.  First, she saw me ...

[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 22 July, 2012 in The Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age newspapers] Is there anything we Indians love more than a wedding? We are always ready to go to one, conduct one, or even better, hound unsuspecting young adults into one. Everyone is happy at a ...

[[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 24 June, 2012 in The Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age newspapers] Do you feel stressed, worn out and defeated by traffic? Are you looking for a new route to enlightenment? The Art of Driving (AOD) philosophy can unlock secret pathways in your brain and help ...

[Note: This is the unedited version of my column published 28 May, 2012 in The Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age newspapers] Dear politician uncles and aunties, Today my teacher is asking us to write a letter to someone famous. My classmates are writing to some smart celebrities, but I think I can get extra marks ...