BCCI : Board of Crooked and Corrupt India

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 6/9/2013 3:59:00 PM

'Arundhati shot this at our neighbourhood salon after we both had our summer trim. I am off tonight. Will be back after the 24th. I shall miss this space desperately! Adios Blogdosts!**************This appeared in the Sunday Times today....                                  BCCI – Board of  Crooked and Corrupt IndiaMa(...)'

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Jiah Khan - my perspective on her suicide

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 6/5/2013 8:19:00 AM

'This appeared in Mumbai Mirror today....                             Is suicide the only option….?It’s yesterday once more. I didn’t know Jiah Khan. But that hardly matters. A young life has been snuffed out abruptly and tragically. And that’s what matters. We are talking about Jiah because she was famous, beautiful and a Bollywood actor. Or els(...)'

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Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 6/4/2013 5:19:00 PM

'That's my Turkish friend Ekin ( which means 'wheat') and me, strolling through the very area that is currently barricaded and the scene of violent protests (Taksim). We walked into this wonderful old hotel from another era.... and lingered there, admiring the beautiful objets... the flowers.... the carpets... the view!                                               (...)'

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Talking Turkey

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 6/2/2013 5:33:00 PM

'The turmoil in Turkey ! And I was right there in Taksim Square, strolling past the disputed Gezi Park, just a few hours before the rioting began. These images of Istanbul and Perge ( in Antalaya) remind me of the quieter, more peaceful time I spent in this country, enjoying the glorious moonrise over thhe Bosphorus. I clicked that picture from the terrace of the magnificent Kiragan Palace Hotel, where we were dining with local friends. The gate you see is one of the many entrances t(...)'

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Paisa pheko, tamasha dekho....

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 6/1/2013 8:36:00 AM

'My Istanbul moment.....What an incredible destination! Layered and complex.... it takes several lifetimes to reveal itself to mere mortals like ourselves. Like India, in many ways. I have great images... let me know if you are interested.... and I shall post them here taada taadi....                                                          (...)'

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Love is enough...

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/23/2013 6:02:00 PM

'So it is!Am taking a short break.Miss me!Irresistible Istanbul beckons.... who can possibly say 'no'to the Bosphorus?'

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Angelina Jolie's Booby Trap

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/21/2013 11:15:00 AM

'This is the handsome boy with loads of attitude. Meet Schumi - Lord of the Manor at Alibag.                                                                    **************This appeared in Financial Chronicle...                 &nb(...)'

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Lifestyle Crimes...

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/20/2013 5:26:00 PM

'Anasuya Devi is not looking too pleased! While her Naani is all smiles!                                                                         ***********This appeared in the Asian Age...                   &nbs(...)'

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Salaam- Namastey....

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/19/2013 6:53:00 PM

'Our Kaiser in Alibag.                                      Handshake,mwuah, aadab or namastey…?Here’s the basic ground rule, ladies : when in doubt, opt for a namastey. It’s the safest, most hygienic and indisputably the best greeting in the world. Women and handshakes? Naaah. Of course, this is a sexist remark. So, kill me folks. But why would I want to extend my hand and make physic(...)'

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Asli masala...

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/15/2013 2:17:00 PM

'Thanks to our Blogdost Aparna, I have been getting a steady supply of the best Goda Masala, since my Aji and mother used to painstakingly grind it in our  old kitchen using fresh spices, roasted on a tawa.. Heaven knows what goes into the amazing Goda Masala mix, but once you acquire a taste for its fiery contents, you stay hooked for life!  Aparna's sister Deepa is the enterprising lady behind this venture. I can vouch for it  - this is the real stuff. As Maharashtri(...)'

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He's too sexy for his dish dash!

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/15/2013 2:06:00 PM

'        Too handsome for his own good!Here’s a small test : Who is Omar Borkan Al Gala? If that name rings a bell, chances are you are a twenty-something, net-savvy female. I stumbled across the name and image of this person when I noticed my youngest daughter’s status. It read ‘Yummy!” This single word was positioned under a photograph of a staggeringly good looking young Arab with a rakish half-smile and fussily trimmed beard. I confess I was a l(...)'

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Rajeev Sethi - An extraordinary man...

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/14/2013 7:02:00 AM

'There are certain people in ones life who leave an overwhelming impact on ones senses. Rajeev Sethi is one such. When we met, close to forty years ago,  we knew ( instinctively) we'd be friends for life.He is an astonishingly gifted person. One hour spent in his company, recharges your intellectual and aesthetic batteries for the next couple of years. You begin to 'see'' and sense things differently - through the Rajeev filter. I was lucky to spend an evening with him and his y(...)'

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Mother's Day ....

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/12/2013 2:02:00 PM

'The celebrations are still on as I key this in! They started last evening with Anandita giving me my all time favourite flowers - Tiger Lilies. And this beautiful mug which states "' You are the crowning glory of our family."" Now.... I have to live up to that, or else. Little Anansuya Devi was hard at work creating hand crafting gifts for her mother and naani (me!). In an hour from now, we'll be popping champagne and then heading out for an orgy of dim sums at Hakkasan's. So much f(...)'

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Daddy Cool....

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/11/2013 7:51:00 AM

'More Alibag pics. I love the one of Aditya and Anandita in front of a mithai shop. The other two are an extension of my new love affair with shooting into the light...                                                                                  ************This appeared in Mumb(...)'

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Pretty, pretty Alibag....

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/10/2013 5:09:00 PM

'Was delighted to find Alibag still lush green and bursting with summer blooms. Mr. Goswami had thoughtfully filled all the urlis with flowers.... which was so kind of him, considering we weren't sure we'd find the time to stop off at home for a hurried lunch. But we did! And was it well worth the effort!'

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Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh,Mudh Mudh Ke!!

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/7/2013 5:15:00 PM

'Gong Li giving me one of those looks, outdoes  the sultry Nadira with her long cigarette holder, swaying and singing 'Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh'' This is come hither at its best. Sometimes, I park Gong Li on the dining table while I work / slave away. This evening I had an interesting visitor from Vienna - Dr.Edit Schlaffer, Executive Director of Women Without Borders. She is a determined lady on a special mission. Edit has started SAVE  ( Sisters Against Violent Extremism), be(...)'

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Hips don't lie.....!

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/5/2013 2:28:00 PM

'Summer is definitely here! And I am not going by the crazy mercury levels! Just look at these magnificent Brazilian Copper Pods in full and glorious bloom right outside my window! The streets are strewn with flowers.... who notices the dirt beneath that carpet of gold?? That's my attitude to life as well - focus on the fragrance... the delicate beauty of seasonal flowers.... ignore the kachra. You'll be a lighter, happier person. Promise!            &nb(...)'

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Oooof! Kitni saari outrage, yaar!

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/4/2013 8:11:00 AM

'Rishikesh memories.... because it is Radhika's birthday today. And I wish she was here. Though I know she is where her spiritual self has taken her - to Arunachala.But she also loves delicate tea served in beautiful cups... like this one.                                                                      &nbs(...)'

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What do we do with our neighbours and netas...?

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 5/4/2013 8:09:00 AM

'This appears in the latest issue.... let's hear it from Blogdosts.... thumbs up???                                                                         ************This appeared in Asian Age today...                            &n(...)'

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Bayelsa Books and Craft Fair...

Author : Shobhaa De      Blog : Shobhaa De      Date : 4/30/2013 11:24:00 AM

'Yes, it got off to a good start.... and the timing was appropriate, as rich tributes were paid to one of the greatest writers of our time ...'' Remembering Achebe'' attracted several admirers, and even though there were a few glitches, the Fair was declared a hit by writers and artists. Next year promises to be bigger and better. Way to go, Onyeka and Peace..                                    (...)'

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