Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
Male Feminist
Feminism is important to me, but my stance as a feminist is quite confusing, even to me. I was raised to compromise and many times, I do. What is the difference between compromising and copping out? I am still figuring out stuff. A group of friends and I had a dinner conversation once. If you spouse cheats on you, would you walk out? To my surprise, one of the most intelligent and articulate woman in the group said that she wouldn't-- walk out, that is. She is quite famous in India and widely respected. My point is that she is [...]
The Art of Throwing
Do scientists do research on throwing and running? I didn't know this before I interviewed this man. It was heartening to hear his views on scientific research in India and the funding that is available. My friend, Srikantan, who is in California, once tried for a faculty position in the IISc and mentioned that it was tough to crack. Since then, I have wondered about luring scientific minds back to India-- and whether Indian institutes have the ability to do this. Nowadays, I hear about more and more Indian-American professors who are returning to India to take up jobs. My [...]
Healing music
Today, a Hindustani musician came home and sang for us from 5 to 7. He is a student of the late great Bhimsen Joshi, originally from Pune and belongs to the Kirana Garana. His first rendition was in Raag Basant and he sang a beautiful Khayal on Lord Shiva. He voice was deep and loud-- "Mann Kholke gaana," he said. "Open your heart and sing." This is the power of chamber music. To sit in a confined space and listen to a musician is a powerful experience. A CD, however loudly you play it, can never offer the same experience. [...]
Hollywood’s power couples offer twice the envy
Hollywood's power couples offer twice the envy Shoba Narayan Feb 28, 2013 Save this article Now that the Oscars are over, the usual lists of Hollywood (and other) power couples are making the rounds. There is something about the notion of power couples that makes you want to sneer, mostly because they appear to be irrationally exuberant. While the rest of the world is barely managing to have dinner with their spouses, these power couples seem - like Energizer bunnies - to keep going. They are super-achievers; tender spouses and red hot lovers to boot. Heck, what's not to hate? [...]
Review of book
Thank you Kari O' Driscoll for the kind review here Author: Shoba Narayan ISBN: 978-0988415799 Shoba Narayan’s memoir is as much the story of an immigrant to a foreign country as it is the story of how becoming a mother changes one’s perspective in so many unanticipated ways. Shoba was born and raised by a traditional East Indian family who observed their Hindu beliefs closely. While she was encouraged to pursue an education, she was also expected to marry someone her parents chose for her and stay in close proximity to her extended family. Unfortunately for Shoba’s parents, their daughter [...]
Illness
Jackie Colaco sent me this rather useful reply to the below article. Living will is something that I have only recently gotten to know. As for body donation, someone dear to me wants to donate all her organs, but it is hard to formalize anything. One doesn't even know where to start. As it turns out, St. Johns Medical College registers you for organ donation. Interested people may contact Jackie for more details. With her permission, am including her email here: Jacqueline Colaco TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN I , being of sound mind, do hereby declare in the presence [...]
M.S. Subbulakshmi
Listening to M.S.'s Bhaja Govindam as you read this will improve the sensory experience. That-- or Bhavayami Gopala Baalam. Also, Mint has chosen a photo from their files, but below are my favorite MS photos. Also, there was a great photo exhibit in Bangalore's Tasveer Art gallery. It was a foreign photographer...wish I could remember the name. It had a photo of MS standing before Sadasivam relaxing on an easy chair. It conveyed the dynamic of this couple as words cannot. I just loved the photo. God! Wish I could remember the artist. Lastly, great choice of film by Vidya [...]
Wobble Board
I love my Thera-band. I wobble and work. And I admire how Aishwarya Rai has charted her life. When the mind begins to wobble, adjust your balance Shoba Narayan Feb 18, 2013 Bollywood's Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Indian news media tells us, is training to shed her post-pregnancy weight. Now that her daughter Aaradhya has turned one, Ash, as she is known, is gearing for a comeback. I have a few recommendations for the Indian film beauty (and it's not a new diet or exercise regimen; nothing physical, in fact). What I am recommending has to do with the mind: [...]
Wine and Indian food: for Mint Lounge
I have been house-bound these days and have spent a lot of time boning up on an old pursuit: wine. Reading, talking, listening and sampling. The amount of material available on the Web is phenomenal; and the amount of wine available at my local Madhuloka is....er... pathetic. Thank God for kind friends who raid their duty-free shops en route to me. Here is this week's column in Mint. A wine list for ‘malai kofta’ and fish ‘moily’ It is up to Indians to show the wine world how to pair their wines with our food Shoba Narayan First Published: Thu, [...]
How Bangalore has created Power Partnerships
This weeks Mint Lounge is a quirky take on Power Couples. It includes parent-child partnerships along with the usual spouses one. When my editors told me to write on "Power Couples," I wrote a sneering, snarky one that was (again) at attempt at humor. Thankfully, this meeting happened and I attended. So I asked if I could refile and substitute that one for this. Here is the piece on Mint's website and below. I hope BPAC flourishes.