Sheila Kumar - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Humour: Let`s Face It!

Let’s face it… I really don’t know what the fuss is all about. The pundits, that great faceless anonymous collective, tell us it is akin to opening Pandora’s box. That once you are hooked or wired as the case may be, the disease spreads in great galloping strides. That your ordinary life goes to…

Book review: The Last Wave by Pankaj Sekhsaria

The Last Wave: An Island Novel by Pankaj Sekhsaria (HarperCollins Books). This book meticulously lists the many woes that assail the Andaman Islands, and sadly enough, the list is a long one. Harish Kumar comes to the Andaman Islands to … well, it’s not clear what his purpose is. What he sees, who he meets…

Feature: Ian Fleming`s 007 vs Hollywood`s 007

Ian Fleming would be both shaken and stirred if he met Hollywood`s 007 The name is, of course, Bond, James Bond. And he`s back in the news, what with the next movie (titled `Spectre`) announced, what with the beauteous Monica Belluci as the oldest Bond girl (phew), what with Sania Mirza set to…

Travel: Cologne, Germany

Of spires and cars The brooding spires of the Cologne Cathedral dominate the city as well as the skyline So there we were, in the famous cathedral town of Cologne (or Koln) in Germany. Counting (German) cars! And what were we doing that cool morning? We were counting cars, and fast discovering that sometimes clichés…

Random snapshots

At random……………. Friends Lakshmi Karunakaran and Amandeep Sandhu visit friends in Stuttgart and out comes `an interesting book on Kerala. ` This was sent to me by Amar Kundu who asked if I was franchising my brand equity…! Gender Stereotyping in Writing? Panel at Oxford Book Store comprising Andaleeb Wajid, Shoba Narayan, Radha Thomas Vijaya…

Humour: The PK Chronicles

The PK Chronicles Notes from inside a Bengaluru Passport Kendra. The whole process was now streamlined, they said. It was easy as cream pie, they said. Well, I’d like to meet them, I have some pithy things to say to them. No, I’m not referring to Aamir Khan’s film-with-enigmatic title in my headline….

Travel: Bannerghatta National Park

I am in the Bannerghatta National Park, Bengaluru’s favourite getaway. I have signed on for a Jungle Lodges Resorts (JLR) night-stay package, which includes all safaris and meals. Earlier that day, I had checked in at the JLR camp; 1 and 1/2 kms inside the park, past ponds filled with blooming pink lotuses, huge anthills black…

Travel: The Alhambra Gardens

The Gardens of Heaven If the Alhambra palace in Spain is a beautiful diadem, Sheila Kumar finds the Alhambra Gardens the jewel in this crown Blame it on the window views. Al Capone, Al Pacino and Alhambra…. There I was, taking the tour of the Nasrid Palace in the Alhambra, stopping every few feet…

Feature: Fancy a Bada Mac?

Fancy a Bada Mac? Eggs as filling. Bhelpuri sauce as flavouring. Jeera powder for relish… it`s the evolution of the Indian burger! I was at a mall in Indore, then the only mall in town. There was a modest food court offering all kinds of chaat, parathas , Chinese fare and, yes, burgers. What struck me was…

Travel: Delftware in Amsterdam

The Blue Streak It is a thought that strikes most people when they lay eyes on the beautiful blue pottery of Amsterdam.This being the place of Delftware, there is indeed a lot of blue pottery to admire: the houses, the clogs, creamers, butter dishes, jars and jugs of all shapes and sizes, plates, candle stands,…