Month: May 2018

  • In other fake news..

    Went by the title, did you? Ha! This is less about fake news, and more about what could be called its second order effect. In Against Empathy, Paul Bloom writes about how many beliefs are not the products of reasoning, and gives sports teams fans and even political support as examples. He also brings up the point that these views don’t really matter because of the minimal impact one person’s belief has on the world at large. The contrast offered is one’s everyday morality that affects those around. He goes on to say that because of this minimal impact, we should look at people’s views on global warming, health care etc in the same light. The difference between truth and their views does not really matter because it doesn’t really cause a huge impact. To be fair, he is not happy writing this. I wasn’t really happy reading it either, because I saw at least one horrible exception – think personal hygiene values (“I won’t use a deodorant because.. global warming”) and you’ll get the picture. That definitely has an impact!

    But moving on, he also explains how people are capable of rational thinking on things that matter. This is where I differ. I am not denying that people are capable. They probably begin that way, but I think the capacity is lost over time. Why do I think so? (more…)

  • BFlat Bar

    The name should have been a hint, I should have checked the ratings of the Indiranagar version, and I should have guessed that the closer one moves towards Marathahalli, the lower the bar goes! But all of this is hindsight, and we were swept away by the grit of someone choosing to open shop at what has to be the lowest rated mall in all of Bangalore – Brookefield Mall. That, and the outside possibility of discovering a good addition to our favourites in Whitefield. Ah well.

    BFlat is on the top floor of the mall, and divides its overall space into indoor and alfresco sections. We didn’t experience the sound quality since there was no live performance when we visited, but the ambiance was not bad at all. We were encouraged just by the sight of the place, but alas, this was the first and last piece of positive news. A breezy Bangalore night persuaded us to sit outside, and choose a Galangal Sour and a white wine Sangria. Only degrees of disaster separated them. My whiskey based drink was first served like a martini. When I pointed that out, they brought it back as a Margarita, at which point I gave up and humbly drank an obnoxious mix of blended whisky, galangal, lime juice, egg white and orange juice, which had sounded so exciting on paper. D said it is difficult to make a bad Sangria, but they had managed to do it.

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  • Look, Druk! Part Three

    Continued from Thimphu and Punakha

    Part 3: Paro

    After a breakfast that included a masala omelette and an aloo paratha, we set off for Paro. While on the latter dish and food in general, from what I understand folks in Bhutan don’t really like roti. They’re pretty happy to eat rice all day, happily acknowledging their tummy growth while at it. In many restaurants, rotis are for Indian tourists. Also, Buddha and non veg co-exist in Bhutan, and apparently the king is a non-vegetarian too. But then again, as per Theravada, the Buddha had no qualms about followers eating pork, chicken etc so long as the animal wasn’t killed specifically for them. In fact, they couldn’t refuse it if offered as alms since it would arouse the thought of ‘self’.

    Meanwhile, the journey to Paro was the same route from the day before, barely bypassing Thimphu city. That made the journey almost a 2 hour one. We passed the airport, which we realised was a reasonably risky one to land at, given the proximity of the buildings. The Paro dzong was on the outskirts of the town and Sonam assured us that our hotel would give us a great view.

    Lunch was once again a place Sonam and we agreed on – My Kind of Place. A contemporary cafe that had gotten rave reviews online. Comfortable and stylish seating and a nice view of the main road below. Here’s the thing – this would be an expected standard in say, Bangalore, but not so common in Bhutan. In that sense, we felt that Paro was more creature-comfort friendly than Thimphu.

    Unfortunately, they didn’t have Hoentay (momo) that day, so we tried the noodle soup. Beef for me, and chicken for D. Pho like, both were excellent. Their Suja (butter tea) was also the best I had tasted thus far. We got the place to ourselves until the end when a party of moms and kids landed. From their behaviour, we stereotyped them as local posh moms, but they talked about paying in dollars that took that hypothesis for a spin!

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  • Look, Druk! Part Two

    Continued from Thimphu

    Part 2: Punakha

    We had to make an early start as we wanted to get to Punakha by lunch. Early during vacation is around 8AM. The journey time itself isn’t much – between 2 to 2.5 hours, but we had a few things to finish off before that. The first stop was Dochula, about 40 minutes from Thimphu. Thimphu is at an elevation of about 2300 m, and Dochula is 800 m higher, and quite colder. On clear days, it is possible to see the Eastern Himalayas, and specifically Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan’s highest peak. Clear days are a rarity though, to the extent that even Sonam (our guide) hadn’t seen the peaks. The 108 stupas there are themselves worth the visit though, and the mist and the sun playing hide and seek also offer some excellent views. The Druk Wangyal Lhakhang temple is there as well, though we didn’t visit.

    For most people though, the cafe and its loo (not usable unless you’re a customer, and a rule that is more often than not broken) are important points in the journey!

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  • Look, Druk! Part One

    Bhutan was always a when, and never an if. And our program management now is such that we are fairly clear of the when-where for the next 3 years, assuming life doesn’t throw tantrums. We also realised that what gets lost in us planning everything down to the last detail are the aha moments. So now, we figure out the broad things to do and let tour operators do the rest. This also ensures that there’s just the right amount of time to relax, and actually vacation! Have to wonder if age is catching up! Anyway

    Part 1: Thimphu via Kolkata

    My last trip to Kolkata had been 18 years ago. Our only interactions after that have been restricted to the airport, which is probably my least favourite among all that I have visited. But Kolkata I have had a fascination for. I have admired the way in which its populace has held on to traditions, and I have loved the history it contains. I don’t think any other city has these many functional Ambassadors!

    Based on suggestions from our friend P, we had decided to dine at Aaheli, and chose to stay at Kenilworth. Small, but elegant and functionally adequate rooms, and very courteous staff.

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