When Pondicherry Missed a Cyclone

When Pondicherry Missed a Cyclone

A Very Severe Cyclonic Storm named Thane clobbered the former French vestige of Pondicherry (India) on the 29th and 30th of December, 2011. Ninety year-olds swore they never witnessed a fury this violent and hysterical. There was no systematic tracking of the course the killer was about to take, and apparently everyone just knew that was a … Continued

India: Kochi Calling

“Fine Arts Hall Kochi?” “Ok, Ok Madam” “We’ll pay you Thirty Rupees Ok?” “Naw ! Naw ! Tondy is Ok!” What? What? Did we hear right? Here we were, offering this rickshaw guy Rs 30, but in return he furiously waggled his hands and head, insisting that 20 was just fine! We shrugged in disbelief … Continued

Going Bald for God: Would You?

  Babu Ghat has a vantage location that hugs the eastern bank of the historic Hooghly River in eastern India.  Now while dusk is surely the nicest time to stroll along the riverfront, mornings are when most of the action takes place.   Built in 1830, the facade of the ghat has a Doric-Greek style … Continued

Goa Through the Eyes of a Portuguese Woman

Foreword: A little history lesson before we commence. India has been the playground of the feisty European colonialists for centuries now. Most pockets were returned to the Republic of India in the 20th century. It is pertinent to note that the French have kept the soft power alive and strong in their former enclave of … Continued

Employee Speak: eBay’s Outsourcing Operations in India

Employee Speak: eBay’s Outsourcing Operations in India Most Americans were understandably outraged when they lost their jobs to Indians in the early 2000s due to the infamous Business Process Outsourcing culture (BPO). Meanwhile, urban Indians just out of college took home huge pay checks their parents never saw in all their working life. The price however, … Continued

India: There’s Something About Lord Buddha That …

Touristy holy places demand a certain reverence even from atheists and visitors of different religions. But what happens when flippant tourists fail to differentiate a museum from a mausoleum? In most cases, guardians of the sanctum will take the culprits to task, or devotees themselves will play moral policemen. Even if a scuffle does not … Continued

Albayrak: Red Flags all Over Turkey!

  Albayrak: The Red Flags all Over Turkey! I will start by saying that I’ve never seen so much Red in my life, as I saw in Turkey in a few weeks, when I visited a couple of years ago. Whether on boats sailing past the Bosporus, on the façade of buildings, over balconies of … Continued

We Said Go Travel