Venezuela II: My First week in Venezuela

Last updated on: February 1, 2006 at 4:00 am By Desh Kapoor

Venezuela Series: Part-I . Part-II . Part-III . Part IV ------------------ This was my first week in Caracas, Venezuela and it has been quite an experience! Spanish continues to be a problem but things have improved as I have come to express myself in broken Spanish. Just the other day, I was at the good old Subway to get a Veggie Delite and was pains to tell the person I wanted all the veggies in it.. until a nice helpful Venezuelan who had lived in Austin, TX came to my rescue! Initially I had thought that vegetarian food might be a challenge but it isn't such a big problem and why I guessed. Well, the beautiful Venezuelan women are perennially on diet… I wouldn't have guessed! Read more

Venezuela I: First Step in Venezuela

Last updated on: February 1, 2006 at 3:17 am By Desh Kapoor

This is a series of three posts that I wrote back to my friends from Venezuela in 2003. I am sharing these with you now. Do let me know what you think? Venezuela Series: Part-I . Part-II . Part-III . Part IV ------------------ This helped me to understand how people from other cultures and countries might feel when they come to India! I landed in Venezuela on a month-long project at Bell South International. The city is the capital of Venezuela - Caracas. Its a nice green city at the foothills of Avila. I reckon that beach isn't too far off too. This place is a mix between New York and Bombay... without as much of life as we have in either of them. The infrastructure started out well but somewhere the momentum got lost.. though the chaos of Bombay is quite visible here too! Read more

Electing Lunatics

Last updated on: January 31, 2006 at 8:53 pm By Desh Kapoor

Just got the link for this cartoon from a friend!! Technorati Tags : US, BUSH, Iraq Read more

Globalization 1.2: taxonomy and anti-globalization forces

Last updated on: January 31, 2006 at 5:28 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is the next one in my series on Globalization.In my last post, I had discussed the way to handle globalization mechnisms and how globalization process has often been used by various forces to their benefit!Here is a useful taxanomy by Arjun Appadurai who has segregated it into five types of global connectivity:Ethnoscapes: movements of people, including tourists, immigrants, refugees, and business travellers.Financescapes: global flows of money, often driven by interconnected currency markets, stock exchanges, and commodity markets.Ideoscapes: the global spread of ideas and political ideologies. For example, Green Peace has become a worldwide environmental movement.Mediascapes: the global distribution of media images that appear on our computer screens, in newspapers, television, and radio.Technoscapes: the movement of technologies around the globe. For example, the Green Revolution in rice cultivation introduced western farming practices into many developing countries.Anti-globalization Read more

Journalists, Iraq and the troubled Mid-East

Last updated on: January 31, 2006 at 4:26 pm By Desh Kapoor

''World News Tonight'' anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt - the two ABC journalists in Iraq are returning home to US today. They were lucky to escape - albeit hurt. Jill Carroll, the independent journalist from Christian Science Monitor, may not be so lucky. She is still in the hands of the terrorists and in fact appeared in a telecast pleading for her life. It was obvious that she was horrified and in trouble.I was watching the Larry King Live yesterday, and LK said that already 61 journalists have lost their lives! He was also interviewing other journos on their motivations to go into Iraq. The answer was simple "If we dont who will?" I was amazed to see their commitment to their work! Read more

Google and China

Last updated on: January 31, 2006 at 3:39 pm By Desh Kapoor

There has been a lot of controversy about the way Google is offering to censor the content in China. Here is an interesting observation from Paul Boutin: google.cn image search for Tiananmen: Gate of Heavenly Peace. Read more

Irfan's Hat Trick

Last updated on: January 30, 2006 at 7:35 pm By Desh Kapoor

This is the video of Irfan Pathan's hat trick in the recent Indo-Pak match! Enjoy! Read more

HEY RAM – Gandhi NEVER said it!!

Last updated on: January 30, 2006 at 6:38 pm By Desh Kapoor

This is something that was brought out in a play on Nathuram Godse which was based on the version of Gopal Godse - his brother. Even Gopal Godse had been arrested on the charge that he was involved in the assassination. When the play came out.. as is the wont of the "oh-so-secular-intellectuals" - it was termed as the propoganda of the "right-wing" fundamentalists!This guy now happens to be Gandhi's OWN assistant!!The issue is much larger in my view. If Gandhi indeed never even uttered "Hey Ram" how come all the Gandhians - who swear by fighting for "Truth" and "Honesty" - just kept their trap SHUT!!????It is time the Congress is pulled up for propogating such blatant farce!!Mahatma Gandhi did not utter hey Ram when he fell to the bullets of the assassin 58 years ago, Gandhis personal assistant Venkita Kalyanam. Read more

How to get Angelina Jolie's lips

Last updated on: January 30, 2006 at 5:23 pm By Desh Kapoor

I came across this "How to" on the Howto wiki... and thought it was kinda strange and full of vanity:-) and sort of hillarious! Couldn't resist putting it here.. The women readers - would love to get your comments!! - Exfoliate your lips with a warm, wet wash cloth by wiping back and forth for no more than 30 seconds. - Apply a good lip plumper (the most recent in lip enhancing technology). There are a few good brands sold in department stores and beauty supply stores. They literally plump up, smooth out and moisten the lips. Read more

England's Turbanator to tour India

Last updated on: January 30, 2006 at 8:48 am By Desh Kapoor

Panesar is renowned as a big spinner of the ballMonty Panesar, full name Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, is accompanying the England squad to India tour! He has been inspired by Bishen SIngh Bedi, one of India's all-time best left arm spinner! Read more