Feature - Comfortably Numb

Travel: Train rides I have gone on

JOURNEYS Ticket to ride A recent news item said that all the short-haul trains, the Shatabdis, Deccan Queen, the Brindaban Express , were running almost always full, while flights were going near empty. Oil prices apart, this didn’t surprise me one bit. The thing is, I still remember the days when train travel was…

Feature: Hair Attack!

Hair Attack! Your hair really is you. So what happens if it is wild and unruly, with a mind of its own? Sheila Kumar takes you through her tress trauma. I watch Madonna with a fixed intensity. I have been doing so for years now. You may think I’m a die-hard fan of the…

Book review: Paresh Maity`s Kerala Book

A radiant light An already lush landscape comes alive under the artistic gaze. Sometimes, one just has to deal in clichés to arrive at the inescapable truth. Here the cliché is a landscape artist taking a trip to the ultimate Eden. Art aficionados worldwide rejoiced at the result of a similar trip Maity made some…

Feature: Can That One Drink Hurt You?

Can that one drink hurt you? Drinking, even light, social drinking, carries its own baggage. Just as long as you know. The thing is, we have evolved enough not to mistake light drinking for alcoholism. So. What is light drinking? To be exact, it’s having 1.5 ounces of hard alcohol each day, or 5 ounces…

Feature: It`s Party Time!

It’s party time, from now till New Year! A woman can drown in all the information on grooming, beauty aids, on looking good. Here’s to looking great in the festive season and what’s more, looking good for a long, long time after that, too. A good skin care routine. Invest in expensive creams, moisturisers. Check out…

Feature: The Enduring Saga of Atlas Shrugged

Ayn Rand: The enduring saga of Atlas Shrugged October was a special month for fans of Ayn Rand. It was the 50th anniversary of the publication of her grand polemic, Atlas Shrugged. And of course, there were celebrations, in the US as well as in India, the latter lot organized by the Delhi- based Liberty…

Feature: Go Back to Nature!

If you have become too reliant on beauty products, it’s time to stop. First, take a simple test. Are you unable to step out without washing, conditioning and rinsing out your hair, smoothing some shine serum after blow-drying it, and finally, spritzing two stiff shots of hair spray? Does your make-up routine include a…

Feature: Chennai`s Home Soirees

Very much at home Chennai’s music lovers are increasingly hosting and attending katcheris at home. It’s a parlour in a spaciously appointed Chennai home but the conventional sofas and chairs have given way to gaddas, bolsters and moodas for those unable to lower themselves onto the white-sheeted mattresses. The sea-facing windows are open and the…

Feature: Are We Seeing A Commitment Crisis?

Are We Seeing A Commitment Crisis? Time was when our elders (and betters, many would have it) just went with the flow of the tide. They would study hard, marry whom their elders told them to, work hard at being good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. They never paused to examin e the concept…

Feature: Just Believe It!

Just believe it! If faith can move mountains, belief can turn your life around. We Indians inherently believe in belief. So much so, we are forever telling people around us to believe. But how many of us believe in ourselves? In all we can do? In all the good things of life? The power of…