Author Archives: udaykumarvarma9834

‘Affenpinscher’ Affenpinschers are what they call a Napoleon among dogs, a classic “big dog in a small body. Curious, adventurous, stubborn, fun-loving, playful and active are some of the adjectives that define Affenpinscher, sometimes also called the ‘Monkey Terrier’. Barely a foot tall at the withers, their height ranging between 9 and 12 inches;  heaviestContinue reading “A Black Bundle of Joy”

  Tradition, Opportunities, Controversies  What was the actual fare at the inaugural feast in 1621 is a matter of reconstructed record and conjecture but its religious overtones were never in doubt, indelibly imprinted as they were on the proceedings. Today, in most American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead,Continue reading “Thanksgiving Day-Part III”

The First Feast The travellers on Mayflower were not all pilgrims.Of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower, there were 50 men, 19 women and 33 young adults and children. Just 41 were true Pilgrims, religious separatists seeking freedom from the Church of England. The others were considered common folk and included merchants, craftsmen, indentured servants and orphanedContinue reading “Thanksgiving Day-Part II”

The year was 1620 and the month September. 86 years ago, in 1534, King Henry VIII sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon; and Pope will not grant it. In a daring and deft move, he split the Roman Catholic Church and created a separate Church of England wresting the Supreme Divine authority from theContinue reading “Thanksgiving DayPart IThe Prelude”

COP27 at Sharml-El-Sheikh concluded in the wee hours of 20th November, two days behind schedule. The outcome is predictably vague, inconclusive, and the agreement, a familiar exercise in face saving.The most significant achievement at COP27 is the decision to establish and operationalise a ‘loss and damage’ fund, with a commitment to set up a financial supportContinue reading “Sharm-El-Sheikh and After”

One of the sights that unfailingly arrests the attention of a visitor to New York City, is the incredible variety of dogs that accompany their masters or mistresses. Large number of them don’t walk with them, instead they ride on them. Finding a child in a woman’s lap may be a rare sight here but not a pup inContinue reading “The Human’s Best Friend”

Broadcasters’ puzzled response to MIB’s latest mandate is eminently predictable. Who is government to dictate what should be the content? And who will define National Importance?Although MIB is going to hold discussions on this issue with stakeholders, and then issue detailed guidelines, the voices of resentment and dissent are not likely to be muted even as theContinue reading “Content of National Importance-MIB’s New Mandate”

 My brilliantly hued radianceOf red and purple, smooth and shiningPales into brown, then yellowWeak and spent, I feelThen, one day a cool breeze blows! A little harder than usualI detach from my homeFlutter in the airOnly for a whileThen fall on the ground, and to oblivion! A man used to watchMe from the windowEveryday withContinue reading “Parting of a Leaf”

A Magical Mélange of Assailing aromas and Fanciful FlavoursPart II A Food Tradition Anchored in AgricultureThe rich and varied Thai culinary tradition naturally owes its development and diversification  to Thai way of life that essentially revolved around agriculture.Thailand may have become an export led economy today and the share of Industrial activity may be almost 40% ofContinue reading “Thai Cuisine”

A Magical Melange of Assailing Aromas and Fanciful Flavours “Thai cooking is about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord, it’s got to have a smooth surface but it doesn’t matter what’s happening underneath. Simplicity isn’t the dictum here, at all.”              – Australian chef DavidContinue reading “Thai Cuisine”