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The Hindu :

Shimoga can be a gourmand’s delight, with its impressive signature dishes

Desi treats Mandakki and gudbud

It pays to leave behind city sensibilities and check out hole-in-the-wall places in small towns to pamper your taste buds without burning a hole in the pocket. That way, you experience a whole new range of dishes you never knew existed, all served with dollops of native warmth.

I’ve been doing the Shimoga (in Karnataka) route for many years now, and what endears me to this bustling little town — 277 km from Bangalore — is the variety of eateries, each outdoing the other in plying you with traditional dishes still made the way they are meant to be, and occasionally, with that little twist that lends so much character to an otherwise ordinary meal.Seasonal flavours

Take, for instance, mandakki (puffed rice), which every self-respecting Kannadiga homemaker swears by to rustle up a quick evening tiffin. At the legendary Radhakrishna Kamath’s mandakki shop, opposite the Kote Anjaneya Temple, this dish gets a happy twist, taking on the flavours of the season.

Slightly bitter fenugreek leaves still wet with dew, coriander and sabasge (dill leaves) bursting with flavour, fragrant groundnut oil, scarlet pomegranate, tamarind-jaggery paste, crunchy puffed rice, crisp nipattu (a savoury popular in these parts), perfectly cubed tomato and cucumber, diced onion, home-made sprouts and freshly grated coconut … all these and more make for an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

The buzz word at the store, open only from afternoon, is freshness. The vegetables come from nearby villages, and working his gleaming knife on a well-worn wooden cutting board, Radhakrishna works his magic. Mounds of milky-white grated coconut wait to be tossed in as final garnish. The taste can get addictive, reason why many Shimoga kids who’ve made it big in life and ventured out still return to the shop and ask “uncle” for their childhood…More

The Hindu :

Peter Dickson’s Indian-Latin jazz concert saved the best for the last

On the double Dickson’s solos were an object lesson in how to use the DN-2

It is always a good idea in a public performance to keep the best part for the end, so that you go out on a high, having raised your audience to its happiest state. In fact, change “best part” to “most exciting” or, even more directly, “most pleasing”, and you get a more accurate formula for what best brings home the bacon.

Judged by this formula, Peter Dickson’s Indian-Latin jazz concert at the Alliance Française on April 2 was certainly structured the right way round. After he performed five solo numbers on his Dickson DN-2 guitar, invented by him and his wife Hideko in their kitchen in Tokyo, he was joined by Rahul Popli on tabla for one piece, and then, after a short interval, the duo was expanded to a quintet by the addition of Hideko on Latin percussion (bongo drums, I think), Rohit Menezes on piano and Dominic D’Cruz on electric bass, this last part of the concert comprising another five numbers. The quintet, with its broader palette of sounds and more scope for interactions between the musicians, certainly was a headier mixture and clearly went down well with the audience. So, being the “most exciting” and “most pleasing” part of the concert, it was a good plan to reserve it for the end. And it certainly drew spontaneous acclaim at the end from the listeners, who wanted more.

The encore, “Agree to Disagree”, a fast-moving number, might therefore be a good place to start criticising the concert.

For it was a repeat of the first piece after the interval, and although it was exciting the first time round, having it repeated wasn’t equally so. A little forethought while planning the concert could have convinced Dickson of…More

The Hindu : y>Summer Chillers at GRT Temple Bay

CLEAN AND GREEN At the resort

GRT Temple Bay, Kovalam Road, Mamallapuram, launches “Summer Chillers”, aperfect package to indulge you.

Lovely golden sunrise, endless walks with your dear ones along the shore, adventurous catamaran rides, beach volleyball matches, mini golf. there’s a lot you can choose not to do.

The package includes a room on twin sharing basis with complimentary breakfast, discounts on F&B and The Boutique.

Two children below 12 years can stay in the parents’ room on room-only basis and use recreation facilities. The `2 nights, 3 days’ package (weekends Rs.16,999; weekdays Rs. 14,999) entitles you to meal credits worth Rs. 2,000 and an activity voucher worth Rs. 1,000.

There are weekend packages (Friday and Saturday) of `one night, two days’ for Rs. 7,999 and weekday packages for Rs. 6,999.

Call 2744 3636 or 99400-45640 for details.

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The Hindu : y>The Centre for Gandhian Studies brings out its much-awaited calendar on the Mahatma

Date line A pictorial tribute

It is that time of the year again when the Bangalore University’s Centre for Gandhian Studies brings out the much-awaited Gandhi calendar, for April 2009 to March 2010. The calendar has become a collector’s item of sorts, and is much sought after annually.

This is the sixth year in succession that the Centre is bringing out this unique calendar with rare photographs of the Mahatma. The theme this year is “A leader Amongst Leaders”.

In each month, the calendar lists out several important events in Gandhi’s life, with relation to the country’s freedom struggle — a sort of pictographic reminder of what you may have studied in your history texts. For examples, in April, it lists the dates when the Mahatma sent a copy of the Home Rule to Tolstoy, when Kasturba joined the Satyagraha struggle. On April 6, 1930 he broke the salt law in Dandi. On the same day in 1919, he inaugurated the All India Satyagraha. Along with these details, each month carries a quote from Gandhiji.

While a majority of the photographs are taken from the 1940s, there is one of Gandhiji with his hosts during a south India tour in 1915. The other photographs feature Gandhiji along with leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu, C. Rajagopalachari, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Rabindranath Tagore, Dr Rajendra Prasad and others.

Like in the last five years, credit goes to noted artist Sudesh Mahan and Suresh U.T. for the concept and design of the calendar. The calendar is the Centres way of carrying forward the values, vision and imagination of the Mahatma, says Dr D. Jeevan Kumar, director of the Centre.

The Centre for Gandhian Studies can be contacted on 22961146 or logon towww.bub.ernet.in

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The Hindu : y>

Fear fest Sam Oliver has the worst job in the world in The Reaper

Tune in every Monday at 10 p.m. to Star World for some devilish fun with “The Reaper”. The show follows Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), a clueless college dropout who works at a hardware store.

On his 21st birthday, Sam discovers that his parents have been keeping a secret. He learns that his parents had sold his soul to the devil before he was born in exchange for his dad’s life. Now Lucifer is collecting on the deal. The day Sam turns 21, he is recruited by the devil as a bounty hunter. Condemned to a living hell, his job is to capture escaped souls from hell and bring them back. Watch him battle some of the most vicious spirits from the underworld with his best friend Bert(Tyler Labine). Catch all the action on Monday at 10 p.m. only on Star World.

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The Hindu : y>Rana Dasgupta tells AYESHA MATTHAN he was fascinated by Bulgaria. His book, Solo, is the result of that attraction

PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHYTRAGICOMEDY Rana feels Bulgarians deal with their tragic past with a sophisticated sense of humour

Bulgaria interested Rana Dasgupta for a variety of reasons. Says the Delhi-based novelist, “When I was in London 10 years ago, I heard reports of an economic breakdown in the Eastern European country. I found the situation fascinating. And I decided to zero down, read, investigate and find out what it’s like.” “Solo”, published by Harper Collins (Rs. 395), is the author’s second literary attempt after his collection of short stories “Tokyo Cancelled”.

Rana describes “Solo” as “a kaleidoscopic novel about the life and daydreams of Ulrich, a one-hundred-year-old man from Bulgaria”. The author feels Bulgaria has an absurd history. “There were big ideas proposed by the communist state that didn’t deliver, which led to a feeling of bewilderment.”

He elaborates that this view is not the commonplace great American story that was designed for all to consume. “The 20th century saw America as the nation that won wars and as the beneficiary. But Bulgaria went through a lot of struggle, and got nothing in return.”

The novel springs from this slightly-impoverished European history of Bulgaria, of assassinations of business leaders, old communist leaderships and feudal settings. Rana points out that these structures have deep roots in shaping the country’s history. “A lot of creative young people have left to work as construction labourers and the like in Western Europe. I noticed that after years of political and economic strife, the Bulgarians are amazing storytellers.

“They have been ripped apart on all levels — personal and political, during the turbulent times and neither can be separated from the other.”

Bulgaria which has seen Byzantine and Ottoman rule, suffered in the hands of Germany and USSR, both of…More

The Hindu :

Take it slow in Bangkok, a city that celebrates shopping, culture and food

Photo: AFPCruising along In Bangkok

If, like me, you haven’t been to Bangkok in a while, the surprises start when you alight at Suvarnabhumi. Airports are the key to setting the mood of an Asian journey; too often, they’re reminiscent of an art-movie-style “terminal” where people wait while transitioning between forms of existence — and this funereal mood is infectious. But not Suvarnabhumi, a glitzy amusement park of shopping and dining; you figure it’s going to be pretty cool to hang out here when you return to catch your flight.

The happy glow of expectation was slightly dampened by the multiple-hour wait for the visa. However, such negative emotions were quelled by feelings of vast gratitude at landing in a country that offered an “on-arrival” visa.Floating past

The Airport Express was a convenient way to get into the city. Surprises mounted, as the roads from the airport into town proved to be in great shape, but the nicest surprise was the eventual discovery of the Skytrain. The most important tip for a Bangkok holiday is to book into a hotel that’s close to a Skytrain station. This will add at least 50 per cent extra time to your holiday, eliminating the dreaded delays due to traffic jams.

And, remember that at least one journey on the Chao Phraya river is an obligatory part of the Thai experience — it’s convenient, inexpensive, and offers aglimpse into the city’s bustling life on water.

Say “Bangkok holiday”, and you think risqué nightlife. But, this is only one of the city’s attractions; holidaymakers can easily choose to ignore Patpong’s lurid attractions altogether, and still come away with colourful experiences.

Downtown, Siam Square, one of the top shopping areas in South-East Asia, is a fun place to hang out. While there are lots of shopping centres such…More

The Hindu : y>

Bangalore has been experiencing one of its hottest summers ever, a far cry from the temperate weather that the city usually boasts off.

This freak weather has worried environmentalists and citizens a great deal. Global warming, the melting of the ice shelf, rampant consumerism and gigantic carbon footprints are all responsible for the sorry state of affairs. Metroplus asked city residents about the sudden change in climatic conditions and the measures that should be taken to counter the effects of this change.

Most felt that the senseless cutting of trees, construction work on lake beds etc in the name of development is partly responsible for this situation.

They felt that growing pollution levels in the city and across the planet has resulted in global warming emerging as one of the most serious concerns that the planet faces.

Many felt that measures such as planting more trees, introducing a CNG bus fleet like Delhi, stricter emission norms will help in reducing pollution levels, and aid in the fight against global warming

We sample some responses.

Pollution and irresponsible cutting down of trees are responsible for this situation, that has an impact on the entire planet. We must take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, plant more trees to ensure that the damage is not permanent.

Ramesh

Design engineer

The climate in Bangalore has been affected by the global situation and the sudden transformation of the city from a pensioner’s haven to a metropolis. More trees must be planted and public transport systems should be eco-friendly.

Avinash

Engineer

The temperatures in Bangalore have gone up dramatically over the last five years. Increasing pollution levels, cutting down of trees and reduction of the tree cover are responsible for this sad situation. Corrective measures must be taken.

Vinay

Ad executive

Rising pollution and population levels, indiscriminate cutting of trees are responsible for the rising temperatures. More trees must be planted and environment friendly options like electric cars and CNG…More

The Hindu :

Vivek Vijayakumar’s version of Badal Sircar’s play had an equal number of pros and cons

Badal Sircar’s idealistic “Beyond the Land of Hattamala”, staged by Our Theatre and Riddhi and directed by Vivek Vijayakumar was staged at Ranga Shankara.

There were more adults than children watching this play. Hattamala is a village ridden with thefts and Kena and Becha are the two thieves who escape beyond the land of Hattamala.

In English and Hindi, the simple play takes the thieves into a land where there is no buying and selling, leaving them rather perturbed.Utopian land

Simple truths While the play operated on a fascinating conceit, overstatement did not help the cause

Hattamala is a utopia of sorts — a commune, where resources are shared and labour is not bargained or exchanged.

And while it is interesting that the director chose to bring out Sircar’s evocative play in these times, there were glitches.

The otherwise alien concept was refreshing. At several points in the play, inexplicable actions take over in order to create a visual effect. Much time was wasted in the blackouts in shifting props and a few scenes could be easily done without. The props comprised square blocks, and the costumes everyday.

The humour was uplifting to a point. While Kena and Becha provided comic relief, it soon reached a point of saturation.

There was mention of disparity between classes, which found expression in the land beyond Hattamala, where labour is not graded, and there is dignity attached.

The play did a good job in pointing out the average attitude towards money and labour, in stripping the very concept of money, value and exchange — only hoping that the audience takes back new ways of looking at life, and looking beyond the eternal quest.

The plot fell quite flat though when there was a monologue that stressed on appreciating difference, which seemed disconnected. On the…More

The Hindu :

Wendy M. Dickson’s A Hint of Jacaranda — Recollections of Beauty in the Ordinary is a celebration of old Bangalore

Photo: K. GopinathanWAITING TO EXHALE Wendy Dickson: ‘We have to find the jewel in the moment’

“There are a lot of beautiful butterflies on those trees,” Wendy M. Dickson tells me pointing to the window as we settle down for an interview. “We are blind to the beauty around us. That is why our lives have become banal,” she adds.

Her book “A Hint of Jacaranda — Recollections of Beauty in the Ordinary” is a celebration of such little things in life, which we often take for granted. Rooted in her childhood memories, the book captures the charm of Bangalore in the 60s. “There is no shock value, no sensationalising, and nothing to titillate you. It is a quiet book, to find peace in yourself as you read it,” the author adds.

A passionate teacher for the last 32 years, Wendy has drawn on her experiences of teaching, from kindergarten to postgraduate students. The title Jacaranda is symbolic. Wendy sees Jacaranda as a symbol of courage and a persistent kind of beauty. Wendy draws parallels between the tree that sheds all its leaves before blooming and her 86-year-old mother who has fought back difficulties in life to emerge victorious.

She associates the cluster of mauves with the season of spring, a traditional metaphor for youth and happiness. And, draws parallels to old Bangalore, (Richmond Town, where she grew up), where everybody walked or cycled and led idyllic lives. “People who grew up in the 60s and 70s in any city can identify with the simple life and the wealth of humane experiences. Now, the city is bursting at the seams, and there is a hankering for the old,” says this Bangalorean.

The book is a collection of 30 personal essays written by the author over…More