Corporate
Towards creative company
For the first time since the dawn of the industrial age, we are witnessing a revival of craftsmanship -- of work as a means of self-expression. Through 200 years of industrialisation -- from the 1770s to the 1970s -- self-expression at work was perhaps l
imited to artists, scientists and entrepreneurs.
Environment
Sweeping their troubles away
A housewife who took up cudgels against tree-fellers; a doctor who strove for and got the High Court to issue orders for an emission-free Mumbai; and a concerned father who roused an entire locality to clean up its street.
Miscellaneous
You've got e-mail
I was offended when a friend accused me of being curt to the point of being brusque in my replies to her e-mail messages. For instance, she wrote to me about how her new business was doing and her plans for the future and what's my reply: ``Great, by the
way, wish J a Happy New Year!''
Millennium waltz
As Chennai steps into its millennial season, its arts scene is throbbing with activity. One of the more anticipated events is Dance!, an upcoming production by the The Hot Shoe Dance Company, based in Chennai.
Telecommunications
On familiar terrain
Ongoing fights between pay channels and cable operators, turf wars between the various cable operators, allegations of piracy, of unauthorised broadcast, tall announcements of interactive television and convergence... we've been flooded with news about t
hese things in the last few weeks. It is interesting to note, however, that the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Travel & Places
To bindaas or not to...
The latest hangout in Pune for people of all ages goes by the unlikely name of Either Or -- a store which stocks a mind-boggling variety of classy knick-knacks. The place has a warm and cozy ambience with its earthen-hued walls, funky posters and the gen
erously-used wood decor.
Singapore's tummy streets
Murtabak and sizzling satays on the grill, barbecued king prawns resting on banana leaves, sumptuous Indian pancakes, succulent pork ribs with `gunpowder' chilli powder, fried carrot cake washed down with beer or Chinese tea, perhaps, with plenty of nois
e and, often, plenty of fresh air under the stars...
Designs that tick & talk
Striking the right balance between snob value and mass appeal -- that is the aim of most designers of lifestyle products. If the product is too expensive it might be considered chutzpah and if it is inexpensive, it might be dismissed as `bazaar type'. Mi
chael Foley, a designer with Titan Industries Ltd. who recently held his first exhibition of lifestyle products, believes in straight and simple lines for his products.
On Africa's toe
One of the most vibrant regions in South Africa in terms of natural beauty, flora and fauna, ambience and culture is Cape Town and the Western Cape region. The area owes its rich mix of people and influences to the seafarers who halted by the Cape in the
ir search for new lands.
Nature runs rampant
The dawn is almost upon us. The morning breaks gradually, heralded by the chirping of the birds as the sun's rays spread over the horizon, tinting the sky with gold.
A new motif
It's a veritable storehouse of ideas. From a treasure chest filled with magical beads and silver jewellery to dokra figurines, ethnic Shekhawati furniture, bird feeders, Mithila miniatures, Tanjore paintings, upholstery, copperware and jootis, Brahma on
Bangalore's Castle Street is the latest lifestyle store in Bangalore to catch everyone's imagination.
