2paisa

The controversy surrounding the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor’s tweet (comment on popular social networking site ‘twitter’)  has left me wondering whether it was something which genuinely had the potential of “hurting” anyone’s sensibilities or was it simply just being read out of context/being misunderstood?

Tharoor ran into trouble for his tweet in which he said sarcastically in response to a query that he would travel  ”cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows!”.  Reacting to the controversy over his remarks the minister has now tweeted an apology saying he is ”sorry” for hurting sentiments and that his words had been misunderstood.

I agree with Tharoor when he says (in another tweet): “It’s a silly expression but means no disrespect to economy travellers, only to airlines for herding us in like cattle. Many have misunderstood”.

“Holy cows are not individuals but sacrosanct issues or principles that no one dares challenge. Wish critics would look it up.”

What worries me most is the Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan’s statement saying the phrase used by Tharoor in his tweet is ”unacceptable” and that perhaps he is not conscious of local sensitivities since he was new to Indian politics.

Do we as people and more importantly our politicians lack a sense of humour?  Or is it simply a case of Tharoor’s comment being read out of context, misunderstood and “lost in translation”.

Comments, thoughts anyone?

Here’s the original tweet just for those interested in analysing it with a different perspective (is there any other?)

absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows!

As the state faces a drought and farmers committ suicide, the Maharashtra government is busy planning a huge statue of the Maratha warrior king Shivaji in the middle of the Arabian Sea (off Marine Drive in the city of Mumbai). What is alarming about this is the cost of this statue (350 crores of rupees) which is probably enough to save the lives of lakhs of farmers in this drought year.

This is what the Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan remarked about his government’s plan for this statue:-

“The statue of Shivaji will be a great landmark for the city. It will be in the Arabian sea halfway between Chowpatty and Marine Drive. The platform will span 8 acres. And it will be taller than the Statue of Liberty. People can travel to it from nearby jetties.”

This could be yet another election stunt to get the Maharashtrian vote, but the question I think we should all be asking  -  is this what is required of the government to do now, especially when two-thirds of Maharashtra is facing a terrible drought and farmers are committing suicide?

Vishal Dadlani (a musician) who started an online signature campaign and finally filed a PIL against TV news channels covering the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai live on TV,  is planning another one against the erection of this statue.

Also, take a look at an interesting opinion on this issue, from Chinmaye Bhave.

As we celebrate 62 years of Indian independence today, I sincerely hope we can all do away with our prejudices and ensure every one of us truly knows what it feels like to be independent – men, women, children; people of all religions, castes, creed and sexual preferences.
 
And, be more open to different, independent ‘voices’ which make up the diverse, vibrant fabric of the Indian nation and ensure they all get heard.

This song by Pentagram best encapsulates this thought.  Happy Independence Day!

As news of the latest swine flu death (taking the national toll to 20 now) in India came in about an hour ago, I began wondering how to best control rapid spread and prevent deaths.

Upon not finding any easy answers to this I thought of looking at some numbers:-

 
Comparing numbers for some of the countries which have had a higher number of reported cases than India has and no deaths, throws up some interesting questions … 

What makes it so difficult or complex to control rapid spread (esp. urban areas, given that all deaths have been in urban areas) of the virus in India?   And, what has lead to the higher number of deaths due to the flu in India?

Given that a large country like China had almost twice as many cases,  they have been fairly successful in controlling spread after the initial few months  and  preventing deaths due to the flu,   it is perhaps worthwhile trying to think over this and find answers.

Thoughts, comments, views anyone?

10 (Ten)
The number of months it took to find a good Indian restaurant in Seoul.
The points out of 10, I would give to the food here.

Located in a very unusual place (a place you would least expect an Indian/Nepali food restaurant to be in Seoul), “Everest” is hidden within the dirty allies of Seoul’s bargain shopping district of Dongdaemun and I think is the best place to go to if you’re looking for North Indian and Nepalese cuisine in Seoul.

You might not be able to see it right away but you’ll certainly be able to smell the delicious aroma from the street. Among all the Indian restaurants I’ve been to in Seoul – Chakraa, Ganga, Durga… Everest by far has the best and most economical food. For under 12,000 won you can have a meal with a delicious curry and bread.

Although not too close to where I live, I don’t mind the occasional once in 2 weeks bus ride to Dongdaemun. And I’m definitely not the only one who doesn’t mind the extra travel. I have seen long waiting lines that go out of the restaurant door and down the staircase. Remember to get there early or call for a reservation.

The restaurant is owned and run by Nepalese people who are very warm and friendly. The interiors of the restaurant are brightly done up with handicraft lanterns and souvenirs from Nepal, giving the restaurant a very ethnic feel of the sub-continent. Since the restaurant is run by Nepalese people, they also serve some Nepali fare – momos, thukpa, chow-mein.

The last time I went there I had the mutton curry, dal makhani and stuffed kulcha. I strongly recommend you try the stuffed kulcha… quite an interesting mix between a kulcha and an aaloo paratha. And, finally closed with a hot cup of “masala chai” (a must-try again).

‘Smart’ eaters should go for the “Nepali Set”, which is basically a combo meal, with 1 dal, 1 mutton curry, 1 vegetable curry, rice, papad, pickle, salad…. all for only 9,000 won!

Directions: Exit#3 of Dongdaemun subway station, walk about 80 metres (with Woori Bank on your left), turn left into the narrow lane and after walking for about 2 minutes into that lane you will see the “Everest” sign board on your right (it’s on 2F of the building)
Phone: +082 (0)2-766-8850
Website: http://www.everestfood.com

Noksapyeong. The Waffle Factory. Taco Chilli Chilli. The heater and the humidifier.The house on top of the hill.
Fox (Phox) Life. Story On. Soju. Gojujang. T-money card. Free coffee and peppermint with your bill
Gangnam. Fish pedicures. Cold days. Short skirts. Colder days. Shorter skirts. Boots. High heels.
Itaewon. Foreigners. English teachers. Cass, Hite, Max, OB. Kimchi with all meals.
Cherry blossoms. Beautiful palaces. Beautiful temples that look like beautiful palaces. Gyeongju.
Tombs. Buddha. Snack on boiled silkworm larvae. Waterfalls and lava tubes in Jeju.
White day. Lovers. In matching clothes. Subways-people watching mini-TVs and playing games on the cell phone.
Hikers. In matching gear. Fake eyelashes. Nail bars. Mascara. Subways-girls putting their make-up on.
Ajjumas and ajashes. Noaraebang. Makgeoli. In big pots and little cups. Insadong.
Naked women. Breasts. Legs. Sauna. Hot room. Cold room. Jacuzzi. Jimjilbang.
Lotus lantern festival. Stalls. Foreigners. Experience culture. Song. Dance. Illuminating.
Deli manjoo. Fish waffle. Subway station shops. A maze that’s Co-Ex. Frustrating.
The old and the young. The sky scraper and temple roof captured in one frame.
Souvenirs. Swings and ropes. Namsan park. Tapgol Park. Ajashes playing games.
Slippers outside room. Use both hands to serve. Drink but look away.
Metal chopsticks. Dak galbi. Dokbokki. Woodstock. Club night. Hongdae.
One of the few options for vegetarians-Bibimbap.
Nobody,nobody but you. Korean pop.
Couchsurfers. Friends from all over. Makes one not want to go.
Kamsahamnida Korea. Annyonghi Khaseyo!

You would have all noticed the April 15th post titled “Writer’s Blog”. This is the first post under a new category I have set up on 2paisa. A close friend of mine who has been wanting to begin blogging for some time now has finally decided to do so now. And, I am lending some space on my own blog for this friend’s first blogging experiences. Since this friend of mine wishes to post anonymously, posts under the “Writer’s Blog” category will be posted using the userID “writersblog”.

I hope you all enjoy reading this new category as I am sure it will add more variety to the blog content.

A very warm welcome to “writer’s blog”!

Cheers,
Devang

It is truth universally acknowledged that everyone between the age group 6-86 years have blogs. It is <also> truth universally acknowledged that the first part of the first sentence of Miss Austen’s book Pride and Prejudice finds its way to most literary works of the most non-literary people. No offence to Mr. Dickens whose ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’ has been copied borrowed only half as many times as Miss Austen’s famous opening has been. But now I’m rambling- which I’ve been told is my way of procrastinating. But in my defence, this non-blogging for the past five years was because of writer’s block. And now, I think I may be finally over it. Not SO over it that I’m going to create my own blog (maybe five years from now I’ll be ready for that!) Over it just about enough to ask a friend for my own little space in his blog. A place for MY writing in HIS blog- is this equivalent to a live-in-relationship in the virtual world?

After this advancement in our association from friendship to virtual live-in-relationship, I was ready with the name for my space (scroll up to see the e.e. cummings inspired blogspace name and please do comment-I take criticism fairly well and compliments even better).Now I had to pick one topic that I was going to give my expert opinion on. Except that procrastination is not my worst flaw. Indecisiveness is. So after much ruminating, I have decided that I am not going to pick one topic. writer’s blog is going to be as random as quizzes on social networking sites. But it may just be more interesting.

P.S: A sneak-peek into the topics of some of my unwritten blogs- Chronicling Korea. Stay tuned.

It is a very interesting time for everyone around the world with dynamic changes continuing to take place in the digital media space, even through a deepening economic recession. At a time when the sluggish economy is being a cause of worry to everyone, web 2.0 offers to help in at least one thing less to do - make decisions.

Hunch, a new startup from Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake is a consumer web application looking to help users make up their minds. It helps users make decisions by asking them a series of questions, then using their answers to make a suggestion. The system uses the answers to the questions to offer the user a suggested solution, along with an percentage indicating how confident it is with its decision.

In some respects the site is like a hybrid between Wikipedia (where users come to a consensus) and Yahoo Answers (where everyone’s opinion is shown). All of the questions asked are submitted by other members, who also play a role in deciding how answers are judged.

The process works like this: you pick a topic from Hunch’s various categories (or by searching for a specific question), and Hunch then asks you a brief series of questions that have been submitted by other members. Hunch uses your answers to narrow the field and ultimately suggests a decision. Once Hunch offers you its recommendation you can also see other possible recommendations, see any specific pros and cons members have submitted, learn why Hunch selected that option for you and, most importantly, tell Hunch whether or not you agree with its decision.

The last part is key because it’s one of the main ways Hunch’s algorithm gets smarter — the more feedback and data it gets, the more it can adapt and correct, so as more people use Hunch the site should improve.

I asked Hunch where I should have dinner tonight. Hunch then asked me how spicy I like my food to be, whether I want something heavy or light, whether I eat beef, whether I want  hot/cold I want my food to be, and so on before rendering its decision.

Hunch is currently a beta version and does not have open registration, but you can add your e-mail address to the invite list and hopefull you should get to try it.