Archive for November, 2013

Tarun Tejpal and The Story of his Assassins.

Tarun Tejpal  and The Story of his Assassins.

Schadenfreude is a German word, which means deriving pleasure out of other people’s misery and discomfort. It embraces the bitter elements of sadism, voyeurism and malice.

And when a big man falls the Schadenfreude is that much sweeter. We drive pleasure out of other’s misfortune not necessarily because we hate the person in question but because it makes us feel better. We feel better about our own sorry lives.


Aditya Arya- and his Museum Of Cameras

Aditya Arya- and his Museum Of Cameras

At that time it was discipline. Today its all about indiscipline. Today people know that equipment can take care of a bad picture and they can be further corrected on Photoshop- so the indiscipline has happened because of possibilities . Discipline has done. Mistakes made then with these cameras could never be corrected’’, he says.


Ranaram Bishnoi- The 75 year Old who Stopped the March of the Desert

Ranaram Bishnoi- The 75 year Old  who Stopped the March of the Desert

No sooner we exchange greetings than he whisks us to the desert swathe where he’s planted over 27 thousand trees turning it green. He has singlehandedly stopped the march of the desert, which left to itself would have muzzled up the farmlands adjoining it and beyond. The desert dunes now lie tamed and anchored to the roots of Ranaram’s trees.
Ranaram has been planting these trees for some years now, drawing water from a nearby well and carrying it in an earthen pot on his shoulders to water the saplings.


Shimla- Kalka Heritage Toy-Train Journey

Shimla- Kalka Heritage Toy-Train Journey

No Shimla resident goes on the toy-train. That’s a journey for the monkey –capped Bengalis and foreign tourists to make. If the locals have to get to Kalka they would rather drive down or would prefer to hop on to any available public transport. The toy- train ride is just too much of a touristy thing to do.

Its also a more leisurely thing to do. A journey which normally takes two and a half hours at medium pace takes more than five hours in the train. But one would expect the slow train journey to be the natural choice of travel for the temperamentally relaxed , laidback and slow moving Shimlaites.


Living With Parents ? Get Out of That House Already!

Living With Parents ?  Get Out of That House Already!

The biggest fallacy is that those who continue to live with their parents, love them more. The truth is, it’s a minefield of squabbles out there and the build up resentment and acrimony in the family is so thick, you can cut it with a knife.

It has nothing to do with love in the first place. Or with our great Indian culture – which is invoked every time in a discussions of this nature. The reasons for shacking up with parents are usually selfish; not being economically independent, high rentals, security and comfort, warm home cooked meals, not having to deal with the pesky landlord or simply plain laziness.