LIFESTYLE & LEISURE


Since I have been involved with the Consumer Education and Research Society for many years, I was recently doing a check on the packaging of consumer products that are displayed in many of our stores and malls in India. The aim was to check whether false claims are being made on the pack...

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IANS 25 September 2023
Meta is reportedly working on generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot called ‘Gen AI Personas’ for younger users and is expected to unveil it this week.   The social networking company is geared up to host its annual ‘Meta Connect’ event that will start on...

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Friedrich Schiller, author of The Maid of Orleans, had once said—‘Against stupidity, the very gods fight in vain’.   Nowhere is this seen more than in the area of crude intrusions. Some things change and some things don’t. Crude intrusions are one of them, where there is little...

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For me, Singapore has always been a place in the world, where integrity and honesty are held high in the list of requirements for individuals, corporates and governments. Lee Kuan Yew left his philosophy and thinking as a gift to future generations on how to manage a community and a country -...

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A phone conversation.   “Hello, Mummy.”   “Hello, beta. Sab theek to hai, na?”   “Ji, Mummy, sab bilkul theek. Aap kaisi hai?”   “Main theek hoon, beta.”   A pause...   “Beta, ab tum shaadi kar lo.”   “Bye, Mummy.”   Such...

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The Mumbai Mirror of 16 July 2023, carried a feature on the new metro trains in Mumbai. There is wide appreciation for this development, especially from people who live in the distant suburbs. But nearly all of them have the complaint that after they arrive at their final destination, they do...

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Moneylife Digital Team 04 May 2023
With the summer vacation season fast approaching, Airbnb has adopted a number of changes under the banner of "Airbnb Rooms," including steps to improve rate transparency, says a report from ConsumerAffairs.com.   As per the report, anyone who has ever shopped for a rental has seen...

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I stepped off the jumbo jet at the JFK airport, clutching my precious bag of passports, papers and my (proverbial) eight dollars, and….   One glass in my spectacles cracked, vertically from top to bottom.   Was it thermal shock? Not really. Probably culture shock!   My...

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Jan Banerjee  and   Amitabha Banerjee 22 April 2023
Housework   There is hardly any to be done, actually.   We move into a super clean apartment, and we don’t have to sweep/ mop/ vacuum the place—the landlord does that after we leave. The few cups and plates we use are easy to clean. Most places have a dish-washer,...

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Jan Banerjee  and   Amitabha Banerjee 08 April 2023
(Greetings from the authors: We are almost at the end of our three-week driving tour of the south island of New Zealand, probably the most beautiful country that we have visited. We decided to share with you some of the awesome sights we have been seeing on this trip, though the pictures do...

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Jan Banerjee  and   Amitabha Banerjee 25 March 2023
Greetings from the authors - Put together winding roads on high cliffs, blue sea below, bright sunshine, and cool hill station weather, and what do you get? Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand.   Why We Drive (continued)

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India's short documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' has brought home an Oscar in the Best Documentary Short Film category at the 95th Oscar Awards.   The award was presented by Pedro Pascal. 'The Elephant Whisperers' was...

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'Naatu Naatu' picturised on Ram Charan and NTR Jr from the film 'RRR' made India proud again as it won the Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards.   Leaving behind names such as Lady Gaga, Diane Warren and Rihanna, 'Naatu Naatu' made...

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Jan Banerjee  and   Amitabha Banerjee 11 March 2023
Choosing a Country In the earlier chapter, I had listed our rules for choosing a country. But, there are exceptions to every rule. Japan is a prime example. In Japan, hardly anyone speaks English, and every signboard is written in Japanese. However, there is always a little explanation in...

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Jan Banerjee  and   Amitabha Banerjee 25 February 2023
We are starting a new series based on Mr Banerjee and his wife Jan’s passion for travelling. For them, travel does not mean ticking off attraction lists or chilling in a five-star hotel. Most of their stories are off-the-beaten-track experiences.   We do hope you will enjoy them!...

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IANS 11 January 2023
The song 'Naatu Naatu' from the Indian film 'RRR' directed by SS Rajamouli was named the Best Original Song in Motion Picture, 'The Fabelmans' won Best Picture, Drama and 'The Banshees of Inisherin' won the Best Picture, Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes Awards.   And...

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Akshay Naik 03 December 2022
Co-living, while a relatively new concept in India, has rapidly grown to be the preferred mode of housing for millennials. This segment of the population aged between 18-35 years, who are considered to be ‘urban migrants’, are those whose career or lifestyle choices require them to be on the...

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I finished my tour of Karachi and flew to Lahore, a beautiful city with many huge parks. Friday fell in between and I had a day off to relax. A major client invited me for lunch at his 'chota sa' (small) farm.   He arrived on Friday morning in a Toyota Land Cruiser, the double cab...

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Statistics are out on an epic battle that was close to the longest final in a grand slam event ever. The victor had 16 more unforced errors and seven less outright winners than the vanquished, a statistic that would be baffling the computers should they be predicting the outcome of a match...

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There were pressing reasons why I travelled on what my batch-mates, who received a continuous flow of videos and photographs from me, called Bharat Darshan by rail.    Almost a year-and-a-half at home without travel and a near-death experience in April 2021 with the dreaded COVID,...

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