KAPI BREAK

"Tum bahut khubsurat ho" in Mexico!

2011-12-30T23:14:00.014-05:00

My husband & I just got back from a beach vacation at Cancun, Mexico. What a great break it was - beautiful beaches, perfect weather, interesting mix of culture, and the food was to-die-for!Coming back very satisfied from our vacation, I wanted to make a few comments about how impressed I was with what we saw/did at Cancun & the few neighboring places we visited. Agreed Cancun is developed solely

Dream your own dream

2011-12-28T23:54:00.007-05:00

As part of my random reading efforts, I read this article this morning about how working moms are more emotionally healthy than stay at home moms. (I know, the stuff that I chance upon these days is wild! The thing is, I try to stay away from all the Ron Paul & American political crap, steer away from technology articles, then from reality shows’ gossip, so that doesn’t leave me with much reading

A week with my purple umbrella

2011-05-25T17:49:00.003-04:00

New York City, aaaah you gotta love it! Gives you the best of the best, be it food, theatre, shopping, nightlife, you name it, there is pretty much nothing you can't find/do in this city (except cheap apartment rentals).I've visited this amazing island many times before, and done the touristy things time & again; cause my parents never get tired of the Architecture tour, Empire state building,

Ikea knows best...

2011-05-25T17:21:00.010-04:00

... how to drive u crazy!2 chipped finger nails, 2 mugs of coffee, power drills, complaining neighbours, 50 song playlist on the iPod, & a patient husband is what it took to assemble 1 chest of drawers & 1 wall mirror.And were not handicap or stupid, the damn instruction booklet is made for monkeys. They list 1 line in English (& then about 27 more languages) - like - oh btw, we didn't include

Weed is organic

2011-04-15T16:21:00.004-04:00

Weed is organic --- so it's ok to smoke it?India's roads are already littered --- so it's ok to throw that gum wrapper?True friendship allows distance --- so it's ok to never ever call?Pets don't bite --- so it's ok to cross dress them for Halloween?Your credit card statement doesn't arrive for another 21 days --- so it's ok to address that urge to splurge?What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ---

Celebrating Sachin :)

2011-04-09T14:17:00.006-04:00

After a 6 month hiatus, I'm gonna try & rekindle that appetite to write useless crap again. Reading all those beautiful crafted articles about Indian cricket, Sachinism, sportsmanship, and patriotism, has made me all nostalgic and is awakening that spark to self express once again. (Psssstt, I've got a couple more posts typed out in my head, just have to transfer them onscreen, soon OK, pretty

Shopping at Kanchipuram…

2010-09-25T05:48:00.022-04:00

… or Thambi land, as I like to call it…. is a hot & sultry experience. The city is filled with men in lungis, sarvabhavans, and people who can’t give decent directions. We were trying to find our way by looking for the famous Kanchipuram Arch, I beg your pardon, its called arse in the local lingo. Cause when we were lost and kept asking ‘the tambis’ for the arch, they kept saying arse, and in

It's gotten busy!

2010-08-12T07:35:00.007-04:00

Between work, saree/jewelry shopping, trying to hit the gym 4 times a week, my sister relocating to a different city, renovations at home, people around me falling sick, traffic jams (thanks to evening rains – P.S: I know I didn't complain when made my previous post :P ), scouting for wedding ideas, meeting friends & family, and excel sheets (sadly, the control freak in me will not rest until I

Monsoons in Bengaluru

2010-06-19T07:08:00.004-04:00

Smell that rain? It’s a smell I absolutely adore! There's something nostalgic about it… reminds me of all the times that I’ve gotten drenched in the rain as a kid, made paper boats and watched them drown along the footpath steams, played lagori in the rain, caught hailstones and eaten them, and most recent memories of drinking hot coffee and eating even hotter bondas in the

I’ll never take my laptop to bed again, REALLY!

2010-06-18T15:55:00.010-04:00

I realized something this week – more than 3 people read my blog (which is a celebration in itself) – but wait, that extra someone actually read my blog and took my post seriously! (To that someone – THANK YOU!!!) When I wrote that post I was being my usual brazen witty self. I read an article and thought it was an interesting read for others too. But when I got handed an iPad in return, it was

Running the B’lore 10K

2010-06-01T05:59:00.009-04:00

I woke up early two Sundays ago (May 23, 2010). I hate waking up early, especially on Sundays. But, I chose to participate in Bangalore’s Sunfeast 10K, so I had no choice. I dragged myself out of bed, tied that timing chip to my shoes, and hoped that I won’t end up sleep walking.My dad was kind enough to drop us (two of my cousin’s also ran). He figured we shouldn’t walk to the venue cause we

I’ll never take my laptop to bed again!

2010-04-07T03:38:00.008-04:00

48 Hours With Apple's iPad. An interesting article by Gary Hamel. And if anyone I know wants to gift me anything, take a hint. ;-)

The Weekend

2010-03-29T00:25:00.005-04:00

There were many contentious issues this weekend. The BBMP elections, the dryness of the weekend, IPL vs Earth hour, and throw in all the issues on E! news. Kim Kardashian is single again – watch out football players – and Miley Cyrus wants to exit the music industry – thank god for small mercies… Jokes apart, I voted for a deserving candidate from a private party yesterday and I’m proud of my

The IPL Frenzy

2010-03-20T07:37:00.013-04:00

The Indian Premier League is all about the glitz and glamour. It’s not cut out for the die-hard cricket fan that appreciates test cricket… or is it? Personally, I think its for the in between folks who are looking for the entertainment parallel of an NFL or NBA game. (I was talking about this to my boss and he had a Kannada dialog to add, “Oottake uppinakayi idhange!”

Working in NON-CORPORATE India

2010-03-06T14:44:00.007-05:00

I mean to say non-cooperate India. In this part of the world, anything goes; deadlines don’t mean anything; and yes could mean yes, or maybe or even no (but everyone will nod as if in agreement). Not like I’m used to a very sophisticated level of corporate communication or workflow, but boy-oh-boy, some of the private companies in India belong to a different genre. If I had to compare it to

The Real Desperate Housewives

2010-02-17T07:38:00.006-05:00

No, not Bravo's show. I'm talking about the famous Indian Housewife. Once stereotyped as spending her day in the kitchen cooking meals for her family is now tech savvy, doing brunch with girlfriends, and dressing in make-believe designer clothes... The Indian Housewife has come a long way, eh? How do I know these housewives? I see them in their different avatars as I go about my day - at work,

Choco-Là!

2010-01-16T09:43:00.005-05:00

I was fortunate to take a mid-week break and travel to Pondicherry for 2 days. It was just what my friends and I needed – aimless, relaxed, and uber fun! And while I want to dedicate this post to the time pass we did in Puducherry, I think this one place needs special mention. It was one of those “gotta do it again” places… Choco-Là… a corner chocolate shop on Mission Street.Where do I start?

How about some Indian Mexican?

2009-12-30T07:48:00.007-05:00

Thinking outside the bun, Yum Brands will open India's first Taco Bell in Bangalore soon. I'm curious to find out whether this fast food will be Indian-Mexican or American-Mexican? In any case, Taco Bell is not Mexican-Mexican, so what culture combination are we gonna get this time? Most of us might take to the taste, cause Mexican food has a decent amount of spice and flavor (the Fire Border

Chocolate makes you Smarter!

2009-12-25T06:48:00.005-05:00

I ate chocolate cause it made me happier… but now I found out that all along it was making me smarter as well! Supposedly it triggers the creation of new brain cells. You can read about the facts here, I don’t particularly care to elaborate. Its just one more benefit added to the list!I LOVE LOVE LOVE chocolate. Dark Chocolate is like a piece of heaven. I have to have a piece of chocolate

Sak Town

2009-12-10T13:23:00.008-05:00

Sak Town, known to most people as Sakleshpur, is a few miles from Hassan in Karnataka. It is a coffee and pepper growing hub. The chief occupation of the residents here is agriculture, and when they are not attending to their money minting crops, they spend their leisure time in the Planter's Club (a very apt name for its location). I had the pleasure of traveling there this past weekend with a

Since I've been back

2009-11-22T15:12:00.006-05:00

I’m trying not to make a big deal about the transition back to Bangalore but so much has changed in the past 3 years. And everyone I’ve met has asked me the same question, “So what’s changed in the city?” For starters, my city’s name has been changed to Bengaluru. I don’t like the name change; Bangalore was so much cooler and metropolitan sounding. The first thing I noticed was the new

How’s that for service?

2009-09-07T20:44:00.003-04:00

I always write about how awful my flight experiences are, so it’s only fair to make note of a pleasant one. No, I didn't get a free upgrade to business class, though that would have been nice too. Instead it was a very nice gesture by the flight crew to take note of my request.What happened was this – my carry-on bag was too big to fit in the overhead compartment of the small narrow plane. So I

Nasty Airlines

2009-05-23T00:32:00.002-04:00

I’ve had to do a lot more flying than I would have liked in the last couple of days. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don’t particularly enjoy it, unless I’m flying home to India in which case I have something to look forward to. Airlines have become very creative in charging us for the most basic things, which they conveniently bracket as fuel surcharge. How about a fuel discount when

On this one flight...

2009-05-21T00:25:00.007-04:00

I was traveling to the west coast dreading the 8 hours of being stuck on cramped airplanes and in busy airports. I’ve come to dislike most airlines cause of their stingy attitudes (they even charge for water!). Not expecting much from this travel experience I charged my iPhone to capacity, carried a book, and took some nutrition bars on board. I was seated between this 10 year old kid who had

House Rules

2009-05-07T11:26:00.003-04:00

For those of you living with incompetent roommates and/or partners, here is a set of house rules that you can introduce them to... If it’s open – close it. If it’s on the floor – pick it up. If it’s dirty – clean it. If it’s hungry – feed it. If it’s sad – love it. Simple, practical and handy, don’t you think? Now it’s just about getting them to follow these rules!

We are the face of Narcissism

2009-04-24T13:29:00.005-04:00

We tweet, we blog, we facebook, we bookmark, we are linked-in, we post ourselves on you-tube, we post our shots on Flickr, it’s all about us and our seemingly fascinating lives that we want to share with the whole world! We think we are social media rock stars, and unknowingly, we have become the face of this narcissistic age. What is narcissism? Dictionary.com defines it as, “an inordinate

Pay it Forward!

2009-04-21T16:17:00.005-04:00

This post is inspired by a movie I watched on the weekend called Pay it Forward. Released in 2000, this movie starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment, is about a 12 year old boy attempting to make the world a better place. The idea being, help 3 needy people, in turn they help 3 others and so on. Instead of returning the favor to the benefactor, the beneficiary pays the favor

Celebrated Women

2009-04-19T21:37:00.004-04:00

As I watch the Miss USA Pageant this evening, I write this post about women who are of completely different character. The women I write about are those who manage the only profitable investment firm in Iceland, while every other fostered debt 10 folds the size of its deposits. The Miss USA Pageant is a 2 hour dedication to the blond and brunette beauties who are better off just smiling than

Incredible India

2009-04-16T10:37:00.004-04:00

I like what they have done with the website. I think the information is useful and accurate. So anyone (new to India) who is considering travelling to the subcontinent, visit this website. I hope you enjoy your stay in my Incredible India!The Wall Street Journal is currently featuring interesting articles about India. Click here to explore them.

Be INSPIRED for your Decor challenges

2009-04-15T16:12:00.005-04:00

I love to browse decorators' galleries for design inspirations. I have a collection of exotic ideas that I hope to use as inspiration to decorate my own home someday. Every space is a challenge in itself, but looking out for these ideas channel your creativity, don’t you think? I don’t have any favorite designers, nor do I pay tribute to the elite work of expensive decorators. I usually make

The Smell of Brewing Coffee

2009-04-11T18:52:00.003-04:00

The aroma of freshly roasted, freshly ground, brewing coffee is unbeatable. If you’ve woken up to the smell of brewing coffee, you know the feeling! If you’ve walked past a Starbucks on a cold day, smelt the coffee filled air and felt the urge to step in, you know the feeling! If you’ve starred aimlessly at your desktop all morning at work until the courteous coffee guy brewed a fresh pot of

It’s OK for Comedians to be racist, but not the Comedy Club, right?

2009-04-09T15:36:00.005-04:00

I’ve seen many comedy acts, many live, some pre-recorded and others on YouTube. Almost always, the comedians throw in a racist joke, if not a whole segment dedicated to ethnic accents and taboo deeds of different cultures. To make my point, Chris Rock always makes fun of white people; Russell Peters always does the Asian accents and makes sexist comments; Anjelah Johnson is known for her Asian

Google Prepares Venture Fund

2009-03-31T11:37:00.003-04:00

I read about Google preparing a venture capital fund some time ago, but didn't see news since. Until today. "Google Inc. announced more details about its highly anticipated venture-capital fund, in which it plans to commit roughly $100 million over the next year, said people familiar with the matter. In a blog post Monday night, the company announced William Maris, a former entrepreneur whom

Your Mom joined Facebook, now what?

2009-03-30T18:03:00.004-04:00

You could –-- Scream “OMG! WHY Why why y?” Ignore her friend request Grant her limited access with special ‘mom’ privacy settings Grant her full access but warn her of possible scandalous photos/comments/posts Have a discussion about what’s OK and what’s off limits Tell her to use Facebook to stay in touch with her friends, NOT to stalk you Tell her not to friend all your friends (that is

Business Cards

2009-03-24T16:27:00.004-04:00

Traditional business cards are going to be a thing of the past. No one wants to keep piles of accumulated business cards about local businesses or estranged friends. Not only is it a waste of shelf space, but it’s also hard to sort them out or use the search function to find that friend of a friend. E-business cards come in all sorts of varieties these days. They play music, link directly to

Web 3.0 and its frills

2009-03-12T18:16:00.003-04:00

The wave of Web 2.0 is slowly shrinking. Web 2.0 is the internet revolution that lets users publish and share content. Social networking, bookmarks, blogs, and wikis – every person and corporate is raving about its importance and impact on our lives. While most people are still coming to terms with Web 2.0, the talk of Web 3.0 has exploded over the web. Corporates are still stuck with Intranet

Oxymorons

2009-03-11T13:21:00.013-04:00

Some of the phrases below are used so frequently, we forget that they are a figure of speech. (The use of these verbs/adjectives make it seem like the contrary is always true! As though, if it weren't mentioned, we would assume otherwise.)Honest politicians A diet that worksPretty ugly Forward retreat Same difference Resident alienOpen secret (or known secret)Controlled chaos Nondairy

CHEERS in different countries

2009-03-04T18:27:00.005-05:00

The idea of this post came from the picture alongside. This picture is a year old, from my trip to Russia as part of an International Finance study/report that I was involved in.“CHEERS” is a sign of goodwill, camaraderie, and a toast to good health. I’ve also read somewhere that it’s a matter of etiquette and a sign of trust in some cultures. With all the travelling that we do these days, I

Economics and Shopping on the Magnificent Mile

2009-02-26T01:17:00.003-05:00

I was reading the WSJ this morning and as usual it contained depressing news about the recession and the anticipated slow recovery. That then got me thinking about consumer confidence and its record lows. The thought of consumer confidence drove me back to Business Economics MGT 551 in the MBA program. The simplest concept I learnt in that class (and I mean simplest – everything else involved

Slumdog and the Oscars

2009-02-23T17:17:00.010-05:00

So many people have asked if Slumdog bothers me. Well, it does. But this is not a movie/story about national sentiments or depiction of the broken slums of Mumbai. Yes, there are issues to address – India’s poverty line, the disparity in income, the living conditions of the slums, the fate of slum children, and more… But those are not reasons to discount the success of the movie. Enjoy the movie

Making rounds on Facebook

2009-02-19T19:06:00.006-05:00

This picture of smileys is making its rounds on Facebook! I found it in some corner and decided to tag my friends – but what do you know, overnight, it’s become quite a sensation!I have to say though, that this picture got the most comments of all my pictures! Obviously, when you tag a friend as the guy ‘who is up to no good’ or the ‘geek’, you are bound to invite reactions! It was a fun exercise

Benglur Talkies

2009-02-18T14:25:00.008-05:00

This post is meant for all my Kannadiga and Bangalore peeps. Click on the post title Benglur Talkies to listen to some amuzing snipets of Bangalore residents. Its not the perfect dialect and accent, but very entertaining and will guarantee a laugh... My favorite imitation is that of the NRI guy. Good job Bikerdude!

I did HTML!

2009-02-10T20:53:00.012-05:00

P.S: I don’t enjoy reading code or trying to make sense of it.So I thought that editing the template that I chose for this blog would be easy... apparently, not so easy! What I wanted to do, was expand the 2 column posting area and minimize the brown wrap on the sides. I started off playing with the HTML code and changing the width of the header, body and footer. By the way, the template's name

Something for Everyone

2009-01-23T00:51:00.018-05:00

This is a glimpse of Dabboo Ratnani's 2009 Calendar featuring Bollywood's 48 stars. The reason I tittled it 'Something for Everyone' is because amongst these 48 stars, you are bound to find your favorite(s), unless your looking for Amir Khan like I was... Kudos to the photographer for capturing these scandalous, glamorous, and sexy looks. Picture perfect!Click here for more images from MSN.

The difference between men and women

2009-01-22T01:29:00.009-05:00

I get this... what shoes are to women, beers are to men!

What took me so long?

2009-01-21T21:57:00.015-05:00

Blogging has been around for a while now. For a long time I thought, "Why waste my time?" Then I realized, if I am penning my random thoughts elsewhere anyway, why not do it here and get your reactions? Hence, I resorted to the old adage, 'better late than never.' So here goes... I expected my name to be taken when I looked for addresses to set up this blog. But woh-who, it wasn’t! So back in