Look, I admit don’t know what will eventually lead to the end of the world. But I’m pretty sure that the seemingly uncontrollable use of smart phones is one very solid contender. I read a report recen…
Books
If you’re a bibliophile, welcome to your new home. Reading lists, recommended titles, author interviews, books events in the UAE and more.
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XX: Nobody’s Business | PG Bhaskar
When my wife, son and I left for New York three weeks ago, we briefly fantasized about buying business class tickets. I checked the price, uttered a horrified yelp and quickly abandoned the thought. S…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XIX: Basements & Brawn| PG Bhaskar
I was at a friend’s house in Long Island in New York yesterday. He was proudly showing me around the house. He took me to the living room, the bedrooms, the guest room, the kitchen and the room. We sp…
Bringing Back Classics: The Palace Of Illusions Book Review
Like most children in India, I grew up with enchanting stories full of gods, demons and kings. I still reminisce about those hot summer afternoons when my grandmother would deftly slice juicy mangoes …
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XVIII: The Big Apple | PG Bhaskar
So in a sudden change from being comfortable and complacent in good old Dubai, I have, this week, plunged headlong into the rush of life in the Big Apple. I’m still trying to come to terms with it. St…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XVII: Quizzes & Whizzes | PG Bhaskar
In my youth, I was a quiz enthusiast. I rarely left a bookshop without buying a quiz book. On Emirates flights, I would much rather play the quiz game on their in-flight entertainment than watch a mov…
This, That & Other Nonsense: Social Media Dilemmas | PG Bhaskar
By the time Mark Zuckerberg was born, I was already out of my teens. So obviously, by the time I dipped a tentative toe into the world of facebook, I was already well into middle age. I found it a ver…
This, That & Other Nonsense: Obama Kenya | PG Bhaskar
President Barack Obama has constantly been on my mind these last two weeks. Not because of the Iran ‘deal’ but because of reasons ‘closer’ to me. I first heard of Obama some eight years ago, when I wa…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XII: Rage Against Time | PG Bhaskar
We’ve all been brought up on lessons about time; how to tell time, the importance of time. We’ve been told that time is money, that it waits for no one and that a stitch in time saves nine. So we stri…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. XI – A Writer’s Delight | PG Bhaskar
Last week, I saw a man standing under a kind of halo. He was emanating incredibly positive vibes, an aura of some ethereal sort. His smile was captivating, beatific; his demeanour, munificent. Fascina…
Reading Your Way To North Carolina
Travel is on everyone’s mind as the summer is upon us. So, we thought we’d fuel that zest to escape; this time around, we bring you 5 books based on a location instead of a movie, so you can travel wi…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. X – Green Peas | PG Bhaskar
I was at this hotel in Uganda last week and being very fond of peas, ordered ‘green peas risotto’ through room service. Half-way through the meal, I realised there was no green peas in it.…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. IX – Tweet Tweet | PG Bhaskar
Few of us took precis-writing seriously in school. Possibly, if we could have foreseen twitter and had an inkling of what a big thing it would become, we might have paid more attention to precis while…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. VIII – IPL Observations | PG Bhaskar
The IPL is over. And I have several profound, earthshaking observations to share. They say nothing is impossible, so there must be some way of making Gautam Gambhir smile. But it is best attempted on …
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. VI – Driving Jitters | PG Bhaskar
My wife is an exceptionally brilliant driver. She has good steering control, great reflexes, an extraordinary sense of anticipation and an incredible feather-touch foot on the brake. She is a genius a…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. V – Anyways | PG Bhaskar
I tell you, the ‘ways’ of this world are getting on my nerves. Everyone has some favourite words that resonate with them. But I think it’s more common to come across words that really piss you off. Bu…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. IV – Net Neutrality Nightmare | PG Bhaskar
Over the last few days, I have been hesitant, tentative and wary; ducking sudden questions and beating a hasty retreat if I spy any Indian in the vicinity. There is a hunted look on my face and I have…
Soothing Poetry For Mid-Week Blues: ‘You Are A Soul’ By Shireen Chaya-Mahdi
We don’t usually publish poetry on B-Change, but when our wise and beautiful staff writer, Shireen Chaya-Mahdi , shared this bit, we knew we had to make an exception. Here are a few verses that …
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. III – Facebook Is In| PG Bhaskar
So finally, the verdict is in. Facebook can no longer be considered a ‘waste of time’. It has proved its value. And I don’t mean its massive market capitalization. In India recently, a super con-woma…
If You Liked The Imitation Game (Film), You’ll Love These Books..
Want to get into reading, but the size of book stores and stacks of books overwhelming you? Well, you have to start somewhere. Here is a compilation of 5 books like Imitation Game that will help you …
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. II | PG Bhaskar
It’s Indian Premier League time. And that’s got me thinking. Deeply. Philosophically. Some three decades back, Cricket and Bollywood were two entirely different things. Never the twain did meet. One w…
This, That & Other Nonsense Vol. I | PG Bhaskar
Whenever I offer unsolicited advice to my wife, she frowns and tells me ‘I don’t want your pearls of wisdom’. Sometimes, she actually asks me for my advice and then proceeds to do the opposite. I have…