[Continued from Oct. 9] Our Berlin tour guide’s arrival at our hotel in a taxi, a grand Mercedes Benz Van, was conveyed to me from the front desk through intercom promptly. We descended from our fourth-floor room and there he was. Tall, grinning from molar to molar. While shaking hands, we said, “Sorry, we are…
Gone Away: To Germany & Austria – 2: The Berlin Wall
October 9, 2017[Continued from Oct. 4] Germany is one country in the world for an Indian that seems to conjure up many images of important persons both in Germany and India. Otto von Bismarck was one such person. It was he who spoke of “blood and iron” and unified Germany as we know today. And in India,…
Gone Away: To Germany & Austria – 1: Why our cities look disorganised and dirty?
October 4, 2017I guess time and chance happenth to all. One must bide his time patiently and grab it egregiously when opportunity presents itself. That was how I happened to make it to Munich’s famous October Beer Festival. People from all over Europe and the world descend on Munich in very large numbers to witness and participate…
The New York Times remembers a 92-year-old Indian dancer
October 2, 2017The world is available to anyone who does the work to know and learn it… to enjoy what is in the world is our birthright.” — Father of Daniel Mendelsohn, author of the book “An Odyssey: A Father, a Son and an Epic.” The wise counselling quoted above must be the secret of success and…
Musings On An Assassination
September 12, 2017“The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore.” —Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese explorer (1480-1521) The word assassination is anathema to a civilised world. It cannot happen in a world of light and warmth. It can only happen in a society with dark areas where evil…
All about Men and Mice: Menace of rats upon mankind !
September 5, 2017It was quite amusing to read a news item in the newspapers about the menace of rats that drank liquor and made home of the crevices in the embankments of River Kamalabalan near Ghanshayampur in Darbhanga of Bihar. This home-making by the rats was the cause for the devastating flood for humans, according to a…
The Godforsaken Godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
August 26, 2017“The majesty of law lies in the principle that no one is above the law” “Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah” Salutations to Lord Ganesha. Thanks for the holiday provided to worship, praise and feed the Lord who removes all obstructions in the life of believers who surrender to His glory and power. Being cooped up in…
Dasara Dreams & Depredations
August 19, 2017Dasara is here. The city will cover itself with light and gaiety in the celebration of this festival from Sept. 21 to Sept. 30. Lakhs of people will converge on this city testing its infrastructure and ability to feed as many mouths with Dasara special delicacies. Personally I feel that of the over 40 Dasara…
70 Years of Democracy: Saluting the Majority and Minorities of India
August 14, 2017“Indians may have a vote but they are not represented.” —David Selbourne, Journalist A diplomat is one who remembers the birthday of a woman but forgets the year of her birth. So goes a joke on diplomats. Our immediate past Vice-President Hamid Ansari seems to have forgotten this diplomat’s credo, himself having been an…
50 years of Freedom and Failures
August 13, 2017Going back 20 years, on this 70th year of our Independence, Star of Mysore produces here the Abracadabra published on 14th Aug. 1997, the eve of India’s 50th year of independence, for your reading pleasure.—Ed This is an occasion for important magazines and newspapers all over the world to write about India’s 50 years of…
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