Monthly Archives: February 2012

Excited about elections: Anecdotes from middle class voters across India- Feb 29, 2012

Posted on February 29, 2012 by

Election fever is all around. And this time round, I’m seeing the voters I know getting excited about things, for the first time in my living memory. I’m talking middle class, salaried people, not known for their love of the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Community, Democracy, governance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mixed feelings of delight and disgust @ World Book Fair, Delhi- Feb 28, 2012

Posted on February 28, 2012 by

So I finally made it to the book fair today, with mum. It was heartening to see the sprawling, enormous fair spread over many halls bustling with families, kids in tow. With nani and mumma wanting to buy kiddie books, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Education, Social attitudes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The travel bug: Why city dwellers have ants in their pants and other observations- Feb 27, 2012

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

When it hits me, this travel bug, it can drive me nuts! Several conversations with a diverse set of people recently have revealed to me (thank God!) that I am not alone in being struck by the travel mania. Which … Continue reading →

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Posted in Emotional, travel | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Businesses that target the poor need to look beyond sales figures: Learning from the MFI debacle- Feb 26, 2012

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

An independent probe has suggested that certain cases of suicides among poor borrowers in Andhra Pradesh in 2010 were, in fact, caused by harassment by employees of microfinance institutions that lent money to them (read related news). The microfinance industry … Continue reading →

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Posted in Community, Housing, Urban poverty | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The iPhone addiction- Feb 25, 2012

Posted on February 25, 2012 by

Much as I hate to admit it, life has changed since february 14th. Since the iPhone came into my life. I had been dithering about buying a new phone for months but when the matter was taken out of my … Continue reading →

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Posted in Technology | 2 Comments

Action, performance and deep friendships at Udai’s sports day Feb 24, 2012

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Today was all about watching the extreme sense of confidence in our children and the tremendous skills, flexibility and balance their bodies have achieved in the past year. Every time I have the occasion to observe my son Udai with … Continue reading →

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Posted in Community, Education | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A bond with art is a bond with life; Energized by Raag Bilawal today- Feb 23, 2012

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

If your mind is receptive, there is so much around us that can inspire us to love life. This morning, I woke up with an urgency to experience the world around me and inside me. This may sound very abstract, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture, Education, Urban stress | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Romanticizing the informal, loving the kitsch at Sarojini Nagar, Delhi- Feb 22, 2012

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Sarojini Nagar or SN market is one of those places that evokes tremendous nostalgia in people who have lived in Delhi and especially those who went to college in this city. It’s where the middle class people in central and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Public spaces | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

We need a no tolerance attitude towards bad driving- Feb 21, 2012

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

When you wake up to news of disastrous car crashes two days in a row, you know its time to seethe about the poor traffic sense of the average Indian. Yes, poor road sense is one of the defining features … Continue reading →

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Posted in Education, Social attitudes, Transport | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Cannot wish the urban poor away; can we try new housing solutions like rental housing to accomodate them? Feb 20, 2012

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

Today’s newspaper carried two stories that highlight how completely clueless we (citizens, governments, bureaucrats and planners alike) are about how to address the issue of housing the poor. The first piece of news narrates a conflict in the numbers of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Housing, Migration, Urban poverty | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments