Of Canteen Boys and Flashbacks

Many have wondered why Vinod is so good to the canteen boys. Unlike other colleagues, this Mallu dude never berates them or cribs about their service. Well, the mystery may have been solved.

It turns out that eons ago, Vinod's father owned two restaurants in God's own country (Kerala) and our dear Foreign Affairs expert used to occasionally serve at tables there.

Vinod had to put up with some ill-tempered patrons who revelled in finding fault, blissfully unaware that he was the son of the proprietor.

That experience was to remain with him all his life and taught him a valuable lesson - People who serve us in canteens are humans too, Treat them with respect.

Of Classicial Vocalists and Radio Sets

Not many know that Sumathi Chandrasekharan is an accomplished classical vocalist.

She hasn't had her arangettam - the first public performance - despite her guru's protestations because the diva feels she isn't ready for it.

Don't ask Sumathi to belt out some forgettable Bollywood ditty, the Mallu damsel rather prefers the sublime strains of Mahesh Dattani's Morning Raga.

Believe it or not, she even has Hindustani classical music on preset 1 on her World Space satellite radio set.

Of Marriage Pics and Pesky Photographers

Giving in to her mother's demands, Hanit Kaur finally agreed to get some glossy pics clicked for prospective Punjabi grooms.

But she had a run-in with the photographer who kept insisting she pose next to a pillar a la Bollywood sirens.

Hanit lost her temper and ticked him off proper. Fortunately for the photographer, matters did not take a serious turn and the Punjabi maiden later agreed to let her hair down (literally) for the photo-shoot.

Of Film Freaks and Suspicious Knives

Talk about being a film freak. Sunandita holds the unenviable distinction of having watched at least 30 movies in one week - during the Kolkata Film festival.

The Bong lass, who also holds a certificate in film appreciation, was recently "apprehended" with a pen-knife at PVR Plaza.

Despite her plea that "it was all a mistake" and she "was certainly not a terrorist," the manager was not convinced and Sunandita had to deposit her beloved pen-knife with authorities. What's more, she even had to go through the rigmarole of signing an undertaking just to get it back.

And what has Sunandita learned from the incident? She now meticulously checks her handbag for any weapons of mass destruction before venturing out on a film-watching spree.

Of Stolen Jewels and Tasty Parathas

Swaty Prakash didn't have a memorable trip to Patna after all. She and hubby Manas came back to find their Shipra Sun City flat burgled and jewellery worth 25,000 bucks missing.

But there was still a ray of sunshine. In his hurry, the burglar who rifled through their apartment failed to notice a separate packet kept behind the stolen stuff. And thus Swaty managed to salvage some jewellery and cash.

To hide her heavy heart, the Bihari dame is now practising her paratha making skills and forcing her creations down unwilling throats.

However, reports from the scene of the crime revealed that people partaking of her parathas were seen licking their lips and asking for second helpings.

Of TV Journos and Allegations

Now, you can get even more of Mriganka Dadwal. The IIT damsel recently became sole anchor for her TV show on Wednesday evenings.

Catch her showcasing the latest gizmos and accessories on Ab Ayega Mazaa which airs at 5.30 pm on Zee Business.

By the way, Mrigs has declared that this blog has degenerated to the level of the Page 3 supplement in a national daily.

Well, we beg to differ and if the Kanpur lass continues to compare us to that infernal publication, we promise to see her in court.

Of Holi and Eggless Escapades

Tomojit Bhattacharjee had quite an unholy introduction to the festival of Holi in the capital city. While waiting at the office bus stop, the Bengali lad was the target of hooligans seated in a Honda Accord.

The unruly youths, possibly under the influence of bhang, threw an egg at him. Fortunately, their aim was rather lame and the missile hit an innocent bystander squarely on the forehead.

We know you won't be interested in whether the poor guy used Surf Excel to remove the stains but Tomojit is certainly counting his blessings for an eggless escape.

Of Perfect Stories and Journos

Recently, the office canteen witnessed a unique event. Dining at the same table were Parul Sharma and Sukanya Mohapatra - the only two journalists whose work has been praised by our ombudsman editor Bhaskar Menon.

While a story edited by Sukanya last year was lauded as the perfect example of a news story, Parul was feted recently for her take on the lives of Delhi's sex workers.

And don't you dare suggest this is no big deal. After all, Menon has found only two exemplary stories worth mentioning after a year of pointing out mistakes in our files.

Of Picks From the Archives

Here's a selection from our Jan 2005 Archives.
Ever wonder why in the mornings, newspapers in the 'newspaper room' appear crumpled and smell like they have spent the night with a tramp on 'Mud' Island. Read on

Of Newbie Trainees and False Alarms

You are dead wrong if you thought only we churned out gaffes day in, day out.

A little birdie told us of this incident that happened in the Hindi section recently. A newbie trainee was translating a story about a case wherein the victim raised an alarm when a man attempted to rape her.

Unfortunately, what came out was something like this -

'The woman pressed the alarm clock when the man tried to rape her.'

Talk about time trouble.

Of Forgotten Friends and Birthdays Remembered

We once had a Mallu colleague by the name of Salu,
Whither he vanished, we still haven't a clue,
Last heard, the dude was somewhere in the UK,
Anyways, on your birthday, we remember you.

Indeed, we remembered you on your birthday today. We have no idea if you are still reading our news updates. Our phone calls and emails have gone unrequited. But Salu T J, wherever you are, we wish you all the very best.

Of Amoebiasis and Rang De Basanti

BBC gal Upasana Bhat is going great guns. With four bylines already, the Kashmiri lass is creating waves with her stories - the latest being the Rang de Basanti controversy.

She's just watched the Aamir Khan-starrer and found the denouement a tad too violent for her liking.

On the personal front, Upasana is recovering from a bout of amoebiasis. Hey UB, we wish you a rocking February.

Of River Rafting and Mount Everest

It is difficult to imagine Aparna Nair with safety harness et al perched precariously on a clifftop.

Well, she hasn't climbed Mount Everest yet but would love to do so if she got the chance. Aparna professes a love for trekking and in her own words has "done quite a lot of it".

And she's really jealous her younger brother is presently in Rishikesh having a go at river-rafting. Her lifetime ambition - trekking all the way to Kailash Mansoravar.

Of Secret Flings and Refused Assignments

Thud! That was the sound of six people hitting the ground in a dead faint. Shemin Joy had just refused an assignment. 'I am a bit busy today' was the excuse.

Later, the 'Breaking News' guy was spotted in a restaurant coochie-cooing with a girl.

Well, Shemin is not in Delhi right now. But when he comes back from Kerala, you better be prepared for the worst.

Of Bouncy Hair and Hairline Fractures

Swaty Prakash, whose haemoglobin count had gone for a toss just a few months back, has resigned from Hindustan Times and is presently nursing a hairline fracture in hometown Patna.

Don't fret, Swaty says she will be back in apna Dilli by February.

Meanwhile, reports of the Bihari lass being spotted in the office are absolutely baseless. The truth is one of our new trainees is the spitting image of Swaty - with bouncy hair and disarming smile to boot.

Wotsay Swaty - wanna come and meet your doppelganger?

Of Holidaying Mallus and God's Own Country

Remember how Mallus stick together? Well, they also seem to holiday together.

December saw a mass exodus of office Keralites wending their way to God's own country. While yours truly was holidaying in Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, Annie Samson was sharing the Christmas spirit in Kochi.

Once his tsunami assignment in Tamil Nadu was over, Sovi Vidyadharan also made a beeline for Kollam to snatch some precious moments with his family.

And don't forget The Hindu girl Anima Balakrishnan, who left the confines of Coimbatore to catch up on what's hot back home in Kozhikode.

Aparna Nair was also in south India, although for different reasons. What with hubby Ananth recovering from hepatitis, she spent most of the month in a Chennai hospital. Sangeeta was there too, albeit busy setting up house after her recent
transfer to the city.

The only exception - Shemin Joy - who left for Kerala earlier this month and will only be back in Delhi on February 7.

Of Globetrotting Scribes and Lankan Conferences

Globetrotting is no longer a strange word for our colleagues.

Business dude Sumit Upadhyay was in Colombo in December for a workshop and another one in Kathmandu some months ago.

Interestingly, Bengali maiden Rituparna Bhowmick was also in the Sri Lankan capital at the same time - but for the USAid conference on 'Violence Against Women'.

Wondering who will leave Indian shores next? Keep watching this space.

Of Zee ji and his Hotel Story

Wondering what Zeeshan Sheikh has been up to all this while?

Well, the Mumbai dude has just returned home after a junket in Rajasthan. Things are also looking up on the professional front with the Indian Express prominently displaying his 3-column byline story on the booming hotel business in India's financial capital. Way to go - Zee ji!

Of Shivika and Journalism of Courage

Mind you, Shivika Kapur (or should I say Sood?) is no longer a homemaker. The Punjabi damsel has left the comfort of her posh flat in Colaba to fend for herself in the big, bad world of Mumbai.

She's just joined a publication under the aegis of the Indian Express and may also be reporting for it. Best of Luck Shivika - we're waiting for some real journalism of courage.

Of Bawling Babies and Graveyard Shifts

Bengali babu Debjit Chakraborty is just back from Kolkata after spending time with wifey Ruma and newbie daughter Sreejoni.

The young one reportedly gave Deb dada a harrowing time with regular graveyard shifts at home.

And we thought we at the office were the only ones who hated these late night shifts.