Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
Pho-bidden Fruit: for this website
My French neighbour has introduced me to some of the coolest places in Bangalore. Is there something wrong with this picture, or is it just how it is? Expats come to Bangalore and discover the city in a way that many of us who have lived here for years don't. I have never been to City Market, its flower market, on a Lalbagh walk with a naturalist, and that musical fountain near the planetarium (the last one is not on my to-do list). So anyway, Elisabeth and I were shopping for that oxymoron that is common in furniture shops these [...]
Confessions of a cross-carrying immigrant
Very old piece. Suddenly resurfaced here and on Rediff below. Confessions of a Cross-Carrying Immigrant Shoba Narayan January 4, 2000 I am an immigrant. I straddle cultures, juggle identities, and carry labels. The INS calls me Resident-Alien, the IRS calls me Permanent Resident, Americans call me Indian, Indians call me Non-Resident Indian, surveys call me Asian-American, and job applications ask if I have a Green Card. I got my Green Card last year. The process took two years and cost about $ 5000. I spent hours filling forms that the INS routinely sent back asking for more documents, yet another [...]
Nadir Godrej Profile for Discovery magazine, Cathay Pacific.
This ran in Cathay Pacific inflight magazine, Discovery. And the publication date, May 2011. Nadir Godrej Profile
The trouble with teenagers
I hope my daughter doesn't read this. For The National. My life: The trouble with teenagers Shoba Narayan May 18, 2011 Updated May 18, 2011 5.12pm At a party recently, I asked a close friend what I considered an innocuous question. "How is Vivek?" I asked, referring to her son who had just graduated from Brown University and had returned home. "I don't know how to talk to him anymore," my friend replied forcefully. "He is 22 years old and still hasn't decided what to do with his life. He wants to take a year off to figure it out. [...]
Tai Chi in Shanghai & Beijing | Condenast Traveler US |
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?
Being at the other side of the firing line
It is weird. Some weeks ago, on the back of a column I did for Mint about Rajat Gupta, a journalist from Bloomberg/Businessweek called me. He sounded like my (very funny) cousin in Washington D.C. so I kinda took to him immediately even though we had never met. He wanted to interview me about what I had written about Rajat Gupta. We talked for say 20 minutes. And now I find myself being quoted in several articles on Rajat Gupta. It isn't a particularly nice feeling because some of the quotes have been taken out of context. One in particular, [...]
A new way of spending wealth for The National Abu Dhabi
Is wealth a spent argument, or can India find new way? Shoba Narayan Last Updated: Apr 9, 2011 Antilia Tower, the new residence of Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman of India's Reliance Industries Ltd., stands in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010. Ambani's personal wealth is estimated to be $27 billion. Photographer: Adeel Halim/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** 755760.jpg next photo previous photo Go to photo 0 next photo previous photo About this time of year New Yorkers develop a fascination with the property market in the Hamptons: who is renting, who is buying and which property? As the scent [...]
The time is right for an Indian Noma: for Mint Lounge
The time is right for an Indian Noma Someone commented on the Pink Poppadom. Been there. Liked it. Star chef: Madhu Krishnan of ITC, adjudged best by the Food Lovers of Bangalore. The time is right for an Indian Noma 5 min read . Updated: 14 Apr 2011, 08:55 PM ISTThe Good Life | Shoba Narayan The time is right for an Indian Noma Topics The Good LifeShoba NarayanCaperberryFavaToscanoOlive BeachTaj West EndITC Royal GardeniaLounge Does Indian cuisine need to break the shackles of tradition to make its mark globally? Or do we stay true to our heritage? Evolution or revolution: that [...]
Rajat Gupta
Courtesy Mehul Srivatsava who cold-called me after reading the Mint piece I wrote about Rajat Gupta, for which I got so many brutal comments. It was funny being on the other side-- answering questions. Rajat Gupta Mystery Remains as Rajaratnam's Insider Trial Nears Denouement Here is the piece.
Marriages for The National
My Life: Shoba Narayan on her long-lasting marriage Shoba Narayan Last Updated: Apr 19, 2011 For The National M magazine Unlike Kate and Prince William, I had an arranged marriage. Ram, my husband, and I never dated, and knew each other for only about a month before we got married 19 years ago. Our horoscopes were matched, and our families met to evaluate if we were appropriate for each other. Only then were we allowed to meet - in my house, over tea and with a bunch of elders as chaperones. After the initial pleasantries, the elders retreated and gave [...]