Thursday, November 27, 2014

'Pappa, Pappu & Thanksgiving Day' ? by K.J.S.Chatrath

Pappu: Happy 'Thanksgiving Day', Pappa.

Pappa:Do you know what is 'Thanksgiving Day'?

Pappu: Yes Pappa. It is for thanking God for giving us a good harvest.

Pappa: And what are 'Baisakhi', Pongal' & 'Nuakhai'?

Pappu: Well, Indian festivals relating to good harvest.

Pappa: So should we not celebrate our own Indian festivals instead of just copying the Americans and the Canadians?

Pappu: Yes Pappa.

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Monday, November 24, 2014

'Sector 17 Chandigarh conceived of by Le Corbusier is so ugly' by K.J.S.Chatrath

A friend was asking me last week if I had made my peace with Le Corbusier. Hell No, was my reply. And here we go-

This is what Times of India has quoted Ms. Neena Sahai as saying (TOI, November 24, 2014),

"I do not know why we are so concerned about Le Corbusier's vision. I have travelled and lived in so many countries. I find the City Centre, Sector 17 , the ugliest form of architecture with grey square buildings (emphasis supplied). Except for the assembly building which has some character, the secretariat and High court are extremely ugly buildings..."

Kudos to Ms. Sahai for calling a spade a spade. I must also concede that Times of India, which has been shouting about Le Corbusier, has, perhaps for the first time, realised that a counter view, and a very plausible one too, exists.

And now some retired people want an Urban Arts Commission to be set up for enforcing the 'vision' of Le Corbusier on the Tri-city... ...

Oh God!

By the way, the above is NOT, the over publicized 'Open Hand' designed by Le Corbusier. It is the 'hand of Fatima' a common symbol in the Middle Eastern and north African countries used for warding off evil. This photo was taken by me in 2013 in Casablanca, Morroco.

So much for originality of Le Corbusier!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

'Mumbai road named after Priyanka Chopra's late father' by K.J.S.Chatrath

A road in Mumbai has been named after actress (I prefer to use this word and not 'actor') Priyanka Chopra's late father. A few years back a road in the same Mumbai was named after the son of singers Jagjit Sigh and Chitra Singh who had died in a tragic road accident.

Of course every Indian town has a Mahatma Gandhi road as every French town has a Charles De Gaulle road. But they had done something substantial for their respective countries.

I am not aware of the contributions of the two deceased persons after whom roads have been named in Mumbai. No disrespect is meant to them. May the departed souls rest in peace.

But this is not the way to name roads.


Thursday, November 20, 2014

'Rlys told to speed up bullet train project'- news

'Rlys told to speed up bullet train project'- news in Times of India.

But what about first providing some basic amenities, cleanliness and safety in the existing passenger trains?

'Dumb argument to avoid kissing' by K.J.S.Chatrath

'A 10-second kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria, my wife told me as we shook hands' said the US television host Conan O'Brien.

But those are bacterias of love and affection silly!

'Look who is quoting scriptures?' by K.J.S.Chatrath

'The World according to Gita- by Henry Kissinger'(Times of India)

Look who is quoting scriptures!

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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

'UNDP wants to post Technical Officers with State Chief Electoral Officers' by K.J.S.Chatrath

My impression is that India has one of the best election processes in the world and has a large number of officers who have developed expertise in holding of fair and free elections.

So I was really intrigued to see an advertisement from the UNDP asking for applications from "technical experts to support Chief Electoral Officers" in ten states including J&K.

(i) Do the Chief Electoral Officers really need any support from outsiders? (ii) I presume that these 'technical officers' would be sending their reports to the UNDP.

Some how I am not comfortable with the idea.

'Badal in China to study fish farming' (Tribune news)


'Badal in China to study fish farming' (Tribune news)

Saturday, November 15, 2014

'Dan Brown disappoints' by K.J.S.Chatrath

In April 2004, a very dear person sent me a copy of the then bestseller in India - Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code as a birthday gift. I read it and became an instant fan of Dan Brown’s way of story telling and his depth of research on the subject.


Years passed and I saw the movie version starring Tom Hanks and French young lady Audrey Toutou. Frankly I was disappointed as it does happen when you read the novel and then see its movie version. I felt that Tom Hanks, though a brilliant actor, was not the right choice for the film. I would have liked to see Harrison as the Professor. Toutou was average- both in acting as well as her looks.


Now in 2014, I heard a few days back that Dan Brown would be visiting India and making a presentation, I was thrilled. Last week, I saw the event on the TV.


Well I was disappointed when he used the well worn out and over used cliché’ “I feel like I’ve come home”! He instantly fell quite a few notches in my estimation. His assertion that 'science and religion were partners' too was nothing very original. I know that at times when the expectations are very high, we get unfairly disappointed. But his performance was just so very ordinary. Bringing out his parents’ licence plates along to prove it: his mother’s spelt out “Kyrie”, Greek for Lord and his father’s said “Metric” or his first ‘book’, were all too contrived.


And too watch one of my favourite authors read from a prepared text was something I was not prepared for. I suspect that the text from which he spoke (read out at times)was not written by him, as I believe he just can not write that badly.


Sadly my take is that not all good writers and reserchers are good speakers.


And now what?


I will have to read ‘Inferno’ to give Dan Brown the writer, another chance.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

'Kim Kardashian' by K.J.S.Chatrath

I always used to wonder why were the internet/newspapers/magazines always talking about Kim Kardashian...

Ah-ha...Now I know! ;)

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

'In praise of tasty South Indian food'by K.J.S.Chatrath

The tastiest South Indian food that I have had is at 'Nisarga' on Brigade Road, Bengaluru.

This is the time of the year when I start missing spicy South Indian food and begin planning for a trip down South in January...Though it seems a little uncertain this time... ....

'Pappa, Pappu & AMU library' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Pappu: Pappa, Pappa.

Pappa: Yes, Pappu.

Pappu: What would you call AMU Vice Chancellor's decision to bar girl students from entering the library on the grounds that if allowed then four times more boys would enter the library?

Pappa: What would you call it?

Pappu: Anaap-Shnaap!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

'Halloween and a repenting rude old man' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Last year around the Halloween time my doorbell rang in the evening. I opened the door and found some small school going children who said almost breathlessly, something like, 'It is Halloween Uncle...Trick or treat'.

My reaction was instant 'Come back on Lohri. Halloween is not our festival.'

They left sheepishly.

I have been feeling sheepish and embarrassed ever since.

Yesterday was Halloween and I was hoping that the same bunch of kids would come in the evening and ring my doorbell and I would give them a treat.

No,the bell never rang.

Mr. Kailash Satyarthi & the Nobel Honour

I had not heard of Mr Kailash Satyarthi till he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

May be other Indians had known about the good work being done by him and I was the only ignorant one.

Or maybe the foreigners know more about people doing good work in India than we Indians do.