Latest Articles
How to talk to teenagers 101
My friend, Neeraj Sagar, has founded a firm called Wisdom Circle, which aims to put recent retirees to work. This is a column I am writing for him.
How a pensioner’s paradise became a Pub City
A god and goddess came down to earth. He took a nap under a tall tree. When he woke up, he was thirsty and drank the sap that was flowing down the tree, little realising that he was drinking toddy from the coconut palm tree. How is this connected to Bangalore? Read on.
Human Wildlife Conflict
My first piece for Roundglass Sustain about human-wildlife conflict, focusing on my favourite pachyderm, the elephant. It began with a discussion a long time ago with my friend, wildlife conservation scientist, Dr. Krithi Karanth.
What kind of a coffee drinker are you?
To my mind, there are only two types of coffee drinkers. Are you a “coffee works” kind of person? Or are you one of those high-falutin, cold-brew drinking altu-faltu types?
Bournvita: the sugar high and its effects
Do you drink Bournvita or give it to your kids? Well this piece is about packaged beverages.
Is the Kannadiga sambhar overrated?
Each state think it makes the best sambhar. Who is right? And do you need sambhar for breakfast as an accompaniment in the first place? Does Karnataka add jaggery in their sambhar or not? I love sambhar and hence I get into knots trying to parse it out.
Why do Bangaloreans like single-colour chutneys?
Are Kannadigas minimalist like the Japanese, at least with respect to their food? I begin by thinking that they are and then come to quite a different conclusion.
How to spot a Bangalorean
There is a face that a Bangalorean will make when you ask him to do something. This column is about the phrase, "Swalpa adjust Maadi."
What kind of a coffee drinker are you?
To my mind, there are only two types of coffee drinkers. Are you a “coffee works” kind of person? Or are you one of those high-falutin, cold-brew drinking altu-faltu types?
Bournvita: the sugar high and its effects
Do you drink Bournvita or give it to your kids? Well this piece is about packaged beverages.
Is the Kannadiga sambhar overrated?
Each state think it makes the best sambhar. Who is right? And do you need sambhar for breakfast as an accompaniment in the first place? Does Karnataka add jaggery in their sambhar or not? I love sambhar and hence I get into knots trying to parse it out.
Old favourites that I wrote for Condenast Traveler (US edition)
Finding a tai chi teacher
I have come to China from my home in Bangalore, India, to find a tai chi teacher. My pursuit of tai chi has been punctuated by such cultural challenges. When I informed my conservative Indian family that I was interested in tai chi, they were appalled. Why was their Indian child, heir to an ancient and proud tradition of yoga leaning toward an alien discipline?
Singapore fling
Staid, chaste, strict, small—Singapore has heard it all. But this island-nation of 4.2 million people has one thing going for it (many things, actually, but we'll get to that later): Singapore is a sure fling. Having lived in Singapore for two years, I have returned wanting to revel in it as a tourist—to see it all and do it all within forty-eight hours.
My Life as a Geisha
I have come to Japan to learn about allure. I’ve been married for seventeen years, and while my marriage isn’t falling apart, it is fraying at the edges. So I have come to Japan to learn about feminine allure from its acknowledged masters: the geisha. Geisha were created to pamper men—but they were also the freest women in old Japan.
Mumbai Meri Jaan
I am going to Bombay to become a movie star. Why not? Every country in the world, if it is lucky, has a city that allows people to create such gauzy fantasies unfettered by the grim shackles of reality. They thrive and inspire, catalyze personal transformations and fuel creativity, not through wide-open spaces but through vibrant congestion.
Goa Grows Up
Once a hippie haven where even India's tightly chaperoned teens could turn on, tune in, and drop out, Goa has lately gone upscale. Living in a trading port for the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans meant that Goans were forced to interact with the outside world far earlier than the average Indian. This has made them friendly but not overly curious about foreigners.
Scuba diving Lakshadweep
I don't want to write about this place. Few people know of it; fewer still visit. Perhaps that's the way it should be. In this rapidly shrinking world, there ought to be somewhere that remains remote, even obscure; set apart in space and time; offering the promise of mystery, the romance of discovery. Lakshadweep—the name comes out in a sigh.
Lessons from my mother
The thought occurred as I eyed a stunning Persian carpet in a downtown Manhattan shop. The Mogul-inspired piece looked terrific but cost thousands more than I wanted to pay. The smile on the manager's face suggested that he was willing to bargain. But where to begin? Middle age brings with it the sobering realization that you can actually learn something from your mother.
Chasing the Mekong River
Cambodia is like a lotus bud concealing an onion—serene on the surface but eliciting tears as you peel back the layers. The scale of the Angkor temples contrast with the photos of skulls in the Genocide Museum. The peace of a Buddhist monastery gives way to the raucous din of tuk–tuks. I am in Cambodia to meet a monk and to travel the Mekong.
Wild at Heart
Bangalore is home. I didn't always live here—until two years ago I lived in New York. But now this is the city where my kids go to school, where I hail auto rickshaws for bone-rattling yet perversely exciting rides to work and meetings, where I prowl pubs and malls in search of stories and sales, and where I go to Namdharis Fresh supermarket to buy organic grapes, too-hard bagels, and much-too-soft cream cheese in an attempt to replicate the Sunday morning brunches at my Upper West Side apartment.
