The tea shop
A paddy field in Kerala. Image by Srihari Devadas, Unsplash.comNarrator: Jaya MadhavMy tharavadu, or the ancestral home on my mother’s side, was built
Zero print: The making of an app
Websites continue to be a major source for information online. But, with the increasing popularity of smarter mobile devices, creating exclusive conte
Nature’s brush strokes
Altered map Our annual fall colour drive this year was in and around Bon Echo Provincial Park. The two and a half hour drive from our house was furthe
Tiger tales
Our African adventure jogged a few memories. Stories about my grandfather heard in my childhood in bits and pieces. Some narrated by his sons, some gl
Temple of dreams
Getting the opportunity to be a part of building a traditional Krishna temple does not come even once in a lifetime. It did not appear in my wildest d
Digital initiative
The digital publishing initiative that I undertook at my last posting was designed to enhance customer experience, considerably reduce development tim
Is the pen mightier than the word?
When The Pen was born it was placed in an elegant coffin. As it came to its senses it found out that it was immobile, held in place around the waist b
The English countryside roads that drove me nuts!
The first time I drove a car was in India. A friend taught me the basics in his father’s 1960 Fiat that had doors opening from the front. The road had
The power of stories
https://youtu.be/f2K-hxKuFT0
Whale watching
https://youtu.be/DCIDwjBzOVA
Mundu – The most sensible clothing for men!
Mund. Munde. Mundu. All one and the same thing. In some cases a bit of a rag! In other cases, a delightful piece of attire that keeps the stuffing in!
Mag+ – Look Ma, No code!
Mag+ Based on requirements, research, and testing, I chose MagPlus [Mag+] as the ideal platform for publishing corporate publications to the mobile pl
Adobe DPS – On publishing digital content
Adobe DPS is an alternate method to publishing and communicating marketing content to mobile devices. Adobe DPS (Digital Publishing Suite) facilitates
What’s in a name?
Some moons ago I was peacefully watching TV when the phone rang. It was a 1-800 number. Usually I do not pick up marketing calls. That day I was indul
This business of marriage
As a prank, my friends published a classified ad in the newspaper [That was the eighties!]. The ad gave my skinny profile and postal address under the
Mistress of my soul
On the night of last thanksgiving I woke up at three in the morning with palpitations. My heart was pounding. I was gasping for breath. I could feel t
Holiday blues!
The day I was invited to four Christmas parties may go down in history as the day my weighing scale broke down and cried. That night I stood in front
What’s bugging me?
The flu virus! Physically not yet. The quandary began with the onset of the flu season and advertisements that flustered even the most resolute. This
I am sorry, it is cancer
Initially it was a search for answers, trying to find the strength to comfort my wife, and coming to terms with what we thought usually happened to so
Lotteries. A worthy cause!
I feel good today. Hopefully, my contribution of $100 towards the research of a deadly disease will save someone’s life. That’s the best part. On the
Thanksgiving
I first heard about Thanksgiving eight years back. Of course, I was familiar with the literal word, but never gave it much thought. What I knew of Tha
Another day in Cuba
Today’s highlight is the road train. A big toy train with three open bogies. We leave the hotel at 10 am sharp Cuban Standard Time. All modes of trans
Silver Streak
Summer time. Managers at a popular car franchise wilted under the constant pressure of trying to sell their inventory and promote next year’s stock. A
Kissed by a dolphin
The day started early, a few sunrays before six. The sun peeped, ran an eye over Holguin beach, looked up, parted the curtains of our resort room, and
Women are right. Always!
There is no woman in sight. If a man stands in the middle of a forest and says something, is he still wrong? [A quote I borrowed from a speaker in TED
Keep that smile!
First thing every morning, I look at myself in the mirror and smile. Then I wash my face, brush my teeth, look at the mirror, and smile again. I can f
Music of the rain
I opened my eyes and saw nothing. First the sounds of rain reached me, then the spray from a water drop. Lightning made the room bright for a blink of
Freedom at 10
Women think way far ahead. They plan, plot, and gently let their men loose in a maze that resembles their mind! And those pour souls believe they are
99% Canadian
My journey to become Canadian started 20 plus years ago. I was told Canadians are very nice people. The same person told me, in Canada there are peopl
Sleep Clinic
What comes to mind when you hear the words, ‘sleep’ or ‘a good night’s sleep’? A cozy bedroom with a high four poster bed. Crisp clean sheets. A pocke
Breaking the ice
I resemble an ice carving; silent, apparently lacking human emotions. With persistent global warming it would be a matter of time before I melted away
Carroms, anyone?
Chitra is mean. It all started with that stupid carrom board*. One fine evening Chitra and I had the urge to go and eat at Gerrard St. [Indian street
On making dosa
Dosa is another heavenly food item from India – the land of mystery and more recently, outsourcing! The humble dosa originated in Kerala (South India)
Eat my son!
The following account took place in early September. The place: New York, New York. The event: The wedding reception of a dear friend. “Eat, my son. B
Home is where the heart is!
I like going home. If possible once every year. My home is far away. Roughly 8,500 miles away, across the Atlantic, past the gulf countries, across th
Basic rules of driving
Some drivers break rules most of the time; they dismiss road signs, crisscross lane markings, and threaten human beings in other vehicles. Today I wil
Creative imagination
I read this story and it stayed in my mind. It’s also the punch line in a TED talk. A young teacher was conducting a drawing class for six year olds.
Tech-no-logic
A dear friend of mine received a new Blackberry. Till then she had a simple flip phone to receive and make calls. When the phone rang, she’d flip it o
The Butterfly Effect
At the bottom of the bridge over Welland Canal, the overhead sign flashed once. ’30 minutes to 1 hour wait at the Peace Bridge Crossing.’ On cue, butt
Don’t take it personally
I was brought up with the habit of sharing. In school there were the textbooks, the bench we sat on, the pencils and erasers, teasing the teachers. At
Peep. Mum’s the word!
The highlight of Chitra’s New York trip was lunch. Hunger pangs dug in when her car entered Holland Tunnel on the way to a rain-soaked Big Apple. Thou
Breaking the iceberg
I broke the ice in my first speech. Many of us do not see or connect with the iceberg beneath. I am talking about our inner feelings, our subconscious
Gastronomic weekend
Chitra thrives on excellent cuisine. In her quest to taste the best ethnic foods, she has dragged me across time zones, even countries. As the preside