I’ve done a number of pieces for The National in Abu Dhabi. The editors– a mix of Brits and Americans– are really nice and I enjoy writing for them. Since I am too lazy to upload them one by one, here is what I’ve done so far. If you click on the title, it will take you to the piece.
Cameron puts on a show of the best of British in India
Britain’s prime minister David Cameron was in India a few days ago and the contrast with other visiting leaders could not have been more obvious.
Canny advertisers are switched on to changing channels
07/24/10
Until recently, after a hard day at work or down the mall most people would come home, kick off their shoes and relax in front of the TV for the evening. The internet has changed all that.
Keep it simple to cook up that elusive buzz
07/17/10
Shoba Narayan: As somebody who has owned a restaurant in California, I can tell you one of the things most restaurateurs crave is that elusive thing called buzz.
A tourism clue in the craze over psychic critters
07/15/10
Paul the octopus, Mani the parrot and Harry the crocodile are more than prognosticators.
Learning to relax can be the most difficult job of all
07/07/10
To be better balanced we don’t need to twitter, we need to develop new hobbies and of course, that takes hard work.
Cappadocia: wonders above and below
05/29/10
Feature Shoba Narayan is blown away by the rock formations and underground cities of Cappadocia in Turkey.
The crash in Mangalore leaves us with ‘what-ifs’
Shoba Narayan
Last Updated: May 22. 2010 7:45PM UAE / May 22. 2010 3:45PM GMT
Confronted with the news of a senseless tragedy, is it ever worthwhile to search for a “takeaway” lesson? Or is even contemplating such a thing disrespectful to the dead?
‘Funny Girls’ can lead the region’s comic revolution
05/19/10
I want to be a stand-up comic. I’d like to be the world’s best female stand-up comic but a male friend of mine tells me that this is an oxymoron.
Health care has become so sterile it puts lives at risk
05/10/10
Where medicine falters is with respect to caregiving in the old-fashioned sense of the term. Home visits are rare these days, and no doctor ever seems to hold a patient’s hand.
A tolerant and secular India is a myth to make real
While the roots of Hindu-Muslim enmity in India run deep, every now and then – and dishearteningly, with increasing frequency – certain events serve as touchstones.
Sania and Shoaib to wed in Dubai and in a global age
Shoba Narayan: Among all the things that have been said about Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik’s marriage, very few people have mentioned the significance of the newlywed’s choice to live in Dubai.
Altered notions
03/22/10
A group of Indian fashion deisgners are reworking each others’ creations.
Immersed in India: The Kumbh Mela festival
03/20/10
Cover Shoba Narayan joins millions of Hindus on their pilgrimage to the Ganga in Haridwar for the Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
India shamed as its greatest painter is driven abroad
03/10/10
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 not have let him go.
Want to lose weight without the pain? Try a little instability
03/03/10
Two products designed to keep you off-balance are proving to be right on track for toning muscles without breaking a sweat.
In the hotel business, bigger isn’t always better
01/27/10
Thanks to the many hotels built ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix, room prices in Abu Dhabi have dropped by nearly 30 per cent, causing many to worry about their jobs.
Adventures near and far
12/26/09
From Iceland’s volcanoes to the terraces of the Philippines, the Gili Islands to the slopes of Val d’Isère, the travel editor and contributors share their highlights of 2009.
Pondicherry is flavoured by France
12/05/09
You can still get croissants and French-pressed coffee for breakfast, but the tiny enclave on India’s east coast is now better known for the Auroville community founded on the ideal of universal brotherhood. Shoba Narayan pays a visit
Actually, Bangalore is easy-going
11/21/09
My kind of place Famous as India’s fast-paced tech hub, Shoba Narayan says her new home is pleasantly laid-back.
Why women hold the key to unlock these family taboos
10/29/09
Plans just revealed by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children for nationwide surveys to gauge the extent of domestic violence and child abuse will bring into focus issues often neglected – and they are not alone.
India’s explosion of light
10/17/09
Feature Deepavali, or Diwali for short, is India’s largest Hindu festival and Shoba Narayan celebrates it in Bangalore.
Indian colleges ban burqas and reveal new divide
09/21/09
The burqa and hijab have gone from being sartorial choices to political maelstroms. Women in the Arab world defend them. Presidents in Europe denounce them. And now it is India’s turn to take up cudgels for and against the burqa.
From durian to Kampong Glam
09/19/09
As the holy month of fasting comes to end, Shoba Narayan reports on Singapore’s famously diverse culinary offerings.
Monsoon memories from India’s magical downpours
09/05/09
Cover The country is at its most spectacular during the rainy season. And Shoba Narayan discovers, it’s cheaper to visit now, too.
Personal struggle in a global crisis
08/29/09
The financial crisis isn’t limited to the UAE. Personal Finance takes you around the world to meet those affected.
Take me to the river
08/29/09
Into the wild What better way to overcome a fear of white water than by hitting the rapids in North Carolina?
IT specialist cultivating his success
08/22/09
MindTree invests in people. Based in Bangalore, India, the successful IT services specialist takes the time to understand the cultures in which it operates.
So you don’t like uncertainty: are you sure about that?
08/12/09
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are comfortable with uncertainty and those who aren’t.
The lure of sport fishing
06/20/09
Into the wild An unlikely convert discovers the joys of angling in Karnataka, India.
wonderful...................................................