Category Archives: The National

Kampong Glam

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

From durian to Kampong Glam Shoba Narayan (Writer) Sep 19, 2009 next previous   It is 4pm and the Ramadan bazaar in Geylang Serai, the Malay enclave of Singapore, is bustling. Tomorrow is Hari Raya Puasa, the local name for Eid … Continue reading →

Posted in The National, Travel | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hotel Business

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

In the hotel business, bigger isn’t always better Shoba Narayan (Writer) Jan 27, 2010   Mohammed is afraid of losing his job. I met the middle-aged man from Kerala in Bahrain’s transit lounge. Emboldened by my few words of Malayalam, and since we … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Column, The National | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Losing weight without exercise

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Want to lose weight without the pain? Try a little instability Shoba Narayan (Writer) Mar 3, 2010 It is a truth universally acknowledged that every single human in possession of good fortune still must be in want of a better body. … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-ed and Comment, The National | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fashion Story: Grasshopper

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Altered notions: recycling last year’s fashions Shoba Narayan (Writer) Mar 22, 2010 next previous   It is a problem that afflicts every fashion designer: what to do with last season’s clothes that didn’t sell? In India, unlike the US or Europe, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts/Fashion, Fashion, The National | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MF Hussain

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

India shamed as its greatest painter is driven abroad Shoba Narayan (Writer) Mar 10, 2010 India’s treasured painter Maqbool Fida Hussain officially handed over his Indian passport and became a Qatari citizen yesterday. He is never returning home and Indians should … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts/Fashion, The National | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kumbh Mela Cover Story

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Immersed in India: The Kumbh Mela festival Shoba Narayan (Writer) Mar 20, 2010 next previous   The royal religious procession begins in Jwalapur, a dusty town an hour outside Haridwar, where two million sadhus (Hindu holy men), ascetics, healers, mystics and saffron-clad monks … Continue reading →

Posted in The National, Travel, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Secular India

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

A tolerant and secular India is a myth to make real Shoba Narayan (Writer) Mar 29, 2010   While the roots of Hindu-Muslim enmity in India run deep, every now and then – and dishearteningly, with increasing frequency – certain events … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Column, The National | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Microfinance

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Microfinance has become a big deal for India’s poorest Shoba Narayan (Writer) Aug 7, 2010 next previous   For all the controversy surrounding SKS Microfinance’s initial public offering (IPO) last week, its shares were fully subscribed. SKS is India’s largest and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Column, The National | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cappadoccia

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Cappadocia: wonders above and below Shoba Narayan (Writer) May 29, 2010 next previous   When my father-in-law turned 70 a few years ago, he had two wishes: to visit Turkey and Angkor Wat. Angkor made sense for this gentle scholar of … Continue reading →

Posted in The National, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Money Buys Happiness

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Money makes the world go round and can buy happiness Shoba Narayan (Writer) Aug 28, 2010 Experiences bring more happiness than objects.   BLOOMBERG next previous Go to photo 0   Last week, I did something I have never done before. … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Column, The National | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment