Conversation, coffee, chemistry and rendezvous is how many of the German Bakery goers best described what the bakery meant to them. Filled with a never ending enthusiasm and a pool of colorful people at any given time it was a place to unwind, read your book, catch up with an old friend or a colleague, it was a place for the agitated to vent out their daily woes, for the regulars for their regular fix of the bakery, for the debaters to do what they do best-debate and for the clueless to just catch up with friends over a cup of coffee or a bite of tart.

A mention in Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, alongside Café Leopold brought the small classic café to fame attracting foreign nationals and the local crowd likewise. It was unarguably the most popular place in Koregaon Park.

German Bakery was known to be popular across ages and nationals. You could easily spot an 80-year old man sipping on his Earl Grey tea in the afternoons or a group of 20-somethings sipping on masala chai or cappuccino. From followers of the Osho Ashram, to foreign nationals residing in the city, to the college going crowd alike graced The German Bakery.

A hit amongst the youth it became a part of routine activity to go grab a Danish pastry or a carrot cake at K.P.’s very own German Bakery before proceeding for a gig or maybe hitting a club later every weekend. Being easy on the wallet it fit in perfectly within the budget of a person with an average income.

Known for its unique accommodating ambience, The German Bakery gave you comfort of a shack on the beach so much so that people agreed when told that excluding a visit to this eatery from their weekend list of dos was just impossible.

A gourmand’s paradise complete with cakes, tarts, brownies, coffee and tea, a variety of omelet’s for the perfect Sunday breakfast German Bakery was indeed more than just ‘a bakery’.

Whether you went there with an agenda to catch up with an old friend, or meet an office colleague to discuss work or just sit by yourself with a book, German bakery didn’t in the least disappoint.

After having surveyed what exactly drew such an extraordinary clientele to a rather ordinary bakery one comes to the conclusion that was indeed a culmination of several factors. The location, the ambience, the food, the smiling faces of the waiters and the consistent quality did the charm. It brought to life a different world the minute you stepped in.

Whatever may have been the reason for your visit to German Bakery, it has indeed succeeded in etching a lasting a mark on everyone’s hearts. The rather unfortunate and tragic end met by our very own German Bakery not only shook the entire city but also took along with it the numerous joyous moments it gave us. For many, it was a second home. From all of us, German Bakery, we wish you a ‘speedy recovery’.

Madhur Advani

[ratings]

India took a giant step towards broad mindedness, when the Delhi High Court delivered a historic judgment to amend a 149 year old colonial era law and decriminalized private consensual sex between adults of the same gender. But are we liberal enough to accept homosexuals in our society just yet? Perhaps not. How else does one justify the murder of 55 years old, Hiralal Valecha who was found dead in his house, Ahmedabad, his throat slit with a sharp weapon?  “I still don’t know if I can come out as gay, I still don’t feel safe,” said 34 years old, Nagesh Mathur, software engineer, Mumbai.

India is a young nation in all the various aspects of growth and democracy. It is yet involving in the fields of journalism, economics as well as its social outlook. India still suffers from the age-old malaise of illegal prostitution. Women take to prostitution often, not by choice but per force. Yet, legalizing prostitution seems to be a distant dream. “My family won’t accept me, I won’t get a job, I can’t marry, and I have no way out. I was only 15 when I was pushed into a brothel. I wish I had some kind of hope,” said a young Reshma, who has now spent 4 years in a brothel in Budhwar Peth, Pune. She now works with the NGO Saheli in helping others of her kind. But she still feels nothing can be done since people’s attitude towards sex workers seems governed by traditional societal norms. This, since approximately a dozen sex workers were molested and then beaten up on the outskirts of Sasaram town. “Sex workers all over the nation are abused and often by the officials themselves,” said Ms. Sarika Patil, Project head of the NGO Saheli that deals with the upliftment of sex workers.

India is progressing at breakneck speed, with spiralling GDP figures and other positive indices reflective of the same. Yet, among other issues, birth control and family planning seem to be two major issues India finds itself grappling with. The 1970s witnessed a forced sterilisation program by Sanjay Gandhi. Many young men, men with two children and several others were known to have been sterilized per force. The program backfired and Sanjay Gandhi came under severe flak for having hampered the family planning policy in India.

A similar coercive method was instituted in China as well. Its’ “One Child policy” that was implemented as a temporary measure, now continues for a quarter century after its establishment. China being a communist nation, forced this policy on the Han community living in the urban areas of China. The rural areas however, are free from the policy of family planning. The end result? About 40 million births went unreported in the census following the policy’s implementation.

In India, the visual medium has always served as the most explicit of all media to convey socially relevant messages. Films form an essential part of such conveyance. Yet, it’s not just about churning out box-office hits. The likes of Nine months, Salaam Namaste, throw light on a very narrow aspect that constitutes the subject. While live-in relationships as a concept is still nubile, its arrival has mostly been concentrated to a very narrow section of society. Yet there are the likes of My Brother Nikhil and Phir Milenge, which make the audience sit up and take notice of issues that go deeper than we know them to be.

The Censor board still remains close to the portrayal of nudity and sex, since the mindset of the average Indian is what it primarily takes into consideration, not to mention the influence of regionally chauvinistic political parties that wreak havoc when such films hit theaters.

Yes, the Indian mindset still remains archaic, governed by rules and customs that only a small percentage of people have come out of. The rest remain shackled by myths and stigma that promise to bind it for time immemorial, should adequate information systems not be put into place to pull them out of such murky waters.

Sanyukta Iyer

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://wikipedia.com]

“You and I in this beautiful world”, of course who doesn’t know the Vodafone track, with reference to the youth “I” refers to the “User” and “You” refers to- no! Not the pug, or anyone else but the “Beloved Cell Phone”. Suddenly parents and new friends are a button away, choices are made more quickly and new sets of relationships emerge.

Be it a student or a teacher, a vegetable vendor or a restaurateur, a milkman or a salesman, the youth or the old, children or parents, a manager or a trainee ,whoever it is, needs a cell phone now a days. It’s not just a status symbol or sign of superiority like in the good old days when only the Manager had the cell and his colleagues envied him or like several years ago it was nothing more than a regular landline phone except you could take it with you.

The impact of cell phones on today’s youth is astronomical. Cell phones are becoming to today’s youth what rock and roll was to the youth in the 1960’s. A study reveals that the 18-25 age group, spends between 90 and 125 minutes every day on their phones, using them to read books, chat with friends, surf the Net, or listen to music.

A report out of Australia reveals some teens are so dependent on their mobile phones that they see them as an extension of themselves and experience a sense of dread when they are separated from them. The youth survives on SMS. It has become a mandatory thing with the students and working community to talk over SMSes since it is affordable and also user friendly – things which cannot be conveyed personally can be well conveyed through the SMS (I said it right, right guys??).

We all have become “nomophobes”(obsessed with the cell phone). “Getting married, starting a job or going to the dentist” have long been recognized as sources of great stress. But it seems they are now matched by a new, peculiar, latest 21st century’s affliction to our lives – the fear of being out of contact with the mobile phone. Millions apparently, suffer from “no mobile phobia” which has been given the name “nomophobia”, one of the weirdest and most bizarre of phobias.

It’s very common with everyone today and specially the youth that we are taking up an addiction with the phone today. It’s observed that people start getting uncomfortable, rather restless when there is a delay or when there are no phone calls or texts or even no coverage.

Whatever it is people now make sure that their cells have credit currency; so much so, that the youth have cut down their coffee intake for the sake of the currency in their cell. And believe me; the student community doesn’t spend even a part of their pocket money on eating or other necessities like stationery. Instead, a major portion goes to the recharge.

You must have been bombarded by your parents with the question “Where does all your cell balance go so fast? Hadn’t you recharged it yesterday itself?” Now who on earth would explain them where it went? I mean it’s the era of communication, with Saif and Deepika engraving it in our minds through their movie-Love Aaj Kal. But our parents won’t understand it; rather they don’t want to understand it.

Well, young people, in their insatiable quest to embrace the new, have quickly adopted these devices into their lives in ways that emphasize the unique experience of the phone. The youth today believes in socializing, making friends, making so called “contacts” in this money-hungry, competitive world.

Blame it on service providers, who’ve made it extremely convenient to get a recharge – like vouchers and coupons starting from 10 INR, which enables anyone to get it done, various college special schemes, for low call rates, free SMSes, national-local calling, calling cards, MMS, GPRS, online-recharge and now even credit recharge. What more is needed for enticing people? Why won’t people turn into nomophobes?

An add on to this enticement is the need for communication in the fast and stressful lives of the people. What’s better than a cup of coffee and a long chat with an old friend or even chat sessions over the SMS with your spouse after a troubled, polluted, busy day?

Cell phones have revolutionized wireless communication and have broken geographical barriers and shrunk the distance involved in global communication. They have changed the socio-cultural-economic dynamics of communities and countries. Cell phones are enabling people to create their own micro-cultures; they are changing cultural norms and values, and demonstrating the consumer’s ability to modify and repurpose technology for their own use. On that note we sign off. Rather, switch off!

Zeeba Baig

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://flic.kr/p/6ZY971]

Oh my darling, this is India; everything changes fast here. This is a country where time runs on the fast track, the slumber of swatch, or such, gets you left behind. It is indeed the time to Move On and jump on the train without worrying about upsetting the apple cart. Oh my darling this is India and the following is the fast changing Indian media:

Article from 14th Aug '09

One of the leading news dailies in India, the Hindustan Times, couldn’t have been christened more aptly. Hindustan Times has come to mean a time that changes fast, and in Hindustan Times the opinions and reports change only as fast, if not faster. What is one day an apocalypse the next day becomes as insignificant matter only to become a catastrophe the very next day if this newspaper is to be believed. As seen in the illustrations, the front pages of the Hindustan Times on consecutive days carry mutually contradictory reports.

Front page, 15th Aug '09

The print media, in this case The Hindustan Times, blames the electronic media for being guilty of irresponsible reporting; this is the classic robbed robber crying foul situation. If the electronic media is going to the dogs, the print media is faring no better for it is going to the pigs. Swine flu is being spread more by such reports than the sick souls (health-wise) returning home from abroad. The number of people fearing they are infected due to such reports far surpasses those actually ill. Besides, the reign of terror unleashed by the media has caused more harm than the swine flu ever will.

Of all the communicable diseases, panic is the worst. Just like mosquitoes are the carriers of malaria, breath or phlegm the carrier of swine flu, the carrier of panic is the media. The mosquitoes are quashed and breath and phlegm trapped by a mask, what can prevent the other potent carrier the media from spreading disease? If there was ever a pandemic on a scale grander than any that has gone by or is likely to arrive, the state of hysteria created by the media is undoubtedly the grandest.

Ashwin Mehendale, Editor

[ratings]

Note: The main image is the front page from the 14th Aug ’09 edition.

There has been quite a buzz regarding the legalization of the rights of Gays in India recently. The overruling by the Delhi High Court, in the case of homosexuals, over the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 377, that criminalises acts of sex against the order of the nature, has removed a stigma from the existence of gay people in the society. The rule formed in 1860 by the British was ironically abolished in the UK half a century ago. It’s a great news for the ‘Gay’ movement and a definite boost for homosexuals in the sub-continent.

Abolishing of this discriminating law is compelling people to start reflecting seriously on this delicate issue. There will still remain the question whether legalizing consensual gay sex is ethical. Gays and lesbians will certainly benefit from it. They will now lead a normal ‘legal’ life and probably same-sex marriages may follow soon. In a country where orthodox traditions still exist, and changes are hard to be brought about, it’s a big leap forward.

There are some people who have already started pointing out the negative impacts. Swami Ramdev, the famous yoga guru, alleges that legalizing homosexuality will adversely affect the population growth. Is it possible that Swami Ramdev wants to assert that everyone will turn gay in this country thus having an adverse impact on the rate of population growth? Besides, even if that were to happen, isn’t it a good thing to happen for the second most populated country in the world?

Also, doesn’t this move by the Delhi High Court uphold India’s democratic principles? Do not homosexuals deserve to live their normal life? Considered by many religions as being an abnormality to nature, and condemned since long by the Christian Church, homosexuals have faced a lot of undeserved discrimination and hardship. Now they’ve been given the rights to live legally. The decision can be challenged by the Government, but for the time being, homosexuals can stay happy and gay!

Ashish Padaruth

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/l83ddf]

It is official now, WHO has declared swine flu a pandemic. So it is a time to be afraid; be very afraid.

Originating in the central America, the flu has flown to Europe, Australia and even Asia. This means you, me and Dupree all should be abstaining from indulging in pork. Also, since human to human transmission is possible, it is best to stop the influx of people from abroad to our country altogether. While the former might be a tad impracticable, the latter is as easy as telling Raj Thakkaray to beat up people at airports and send them back, tails between their legs, to their respective countries to stop ‘bad western influence’.

With an ominous sounding name H1N1, the virus has thousands sneezing, humans as well as swine. So, does it kill? Er…not exactly but yes people have died because of it, but then they would have died had they contracted the lowly human flu too. So what is the USP of the disease? The answer would be the fancy virus name. “I’ve viral infection” sounds mundane but “I have been infected by H1N1” sounds so much more upmarket (sounds more like the H1 US visa). Besides, it makes it easier for people to believe your fancy stories of being foreign return.

So the next time you hear someone sneeze, don’t say: “May God Bless You”, say: “go roll in mud.” And till then my dear friends will have to make a pass at the Hard Rock Cheese Ham Burgers. Good for me.

Ashwin Mehendale

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/nhvoul]

Maharashtra Day. Yawn, just another public holiday; a day to lay back and rest in this taxing summer. But not for the 2000 children from several Child Welfare Institutions across Mumbai who reach Shanmukhanand Auditorium sharp at 9 A.M. all set to pay a tribute to Indian Bollywood Classics.

Our Children, a Charitable Trust and NGO ensured that the day is celebrated in its truest sense by these God’s own kids. On 1st May, the largest auditorium in Maharashtra witnessed the 27th Children’s Meet, where about 450 children from 25 institutions including Chembur Children’s Home and A D Bawla Female Orphanage performed stage items.

The idea of this meet was to give children an opportunity to exhibit their hidden talent as well as a chance to meet their friends or even siblings from other institutions across Mumbai. “The Children’s Meet even provides an opportunity to physically and mentally challenged children residing at Asha Daan and Mentally Deficient Children’s Home to show that they are as capable as anyone else.” says Bharti Dalal, a trustee of Our Children.

Since 1971, the Children’s Meet has been empowering the youth of tomorrow by providing them a platform to build their confidence through publishing their paintings, articles and poems. This has also helped in developing their over-all personality by inculcating oratory and inter-personal skills within them. Bal Griha, BJ Home for Children and Family Guild of Services secures first, second and third position respectively in dance competition. “We have been practicing very hard for the dance competition. I am very happy that our efforts paid off so well. The Victory Shield that we have won is a matter of honour for our institution”, said 12 year old Girish Jadhav from Bal Graha.

Selecting some of the children as the guests of honour rather than inviting some big-shot celebrities is just another way that they instil a sense of pride amongst these children. The event saw eminent personalities like film director Lekh Tandon coming to judge these children.

A proof of the effectiveness of this step by Our Children is the fact that the children who once performed at this very meet are today independent, self-reliant individuals. Many Children’s’ Meet alums return to this very event to volunteer in whatever way they can to ensure its smooth functioning. “I remember wearing a pink frock and performing here when I was a kid. The least I can do is volunteer for the event which gave me the opportunity to perform at such a prestigious platform”, says Priyanka who has now completed her Bachelors in Optometric.

Volunteering is just an excuse; the hidden motive is to catch up with their old companions and find their own sweet memories of Children’s Meet in today’s performers, nostalgically.

Sahil Khan [via guest correspondent, Akshata Samant]

[ratings]

‘Valentines Day is against Indian values and should be banned’. Such extremely condemnable comments have been uttered by ‘Hindu’ fanatics since the past few years. The recent Mangalore incident has brought them under the hammer once again. It’s difficult to understand what their real agenda is. Are they the self designated protectors of Indian Culture – some sort of a moral police which impose their judgment on people? Are we living in a theocratic country where our freedom of expression is limited only to religious prescriptions? Many Hindus must be feeling exasperated that people acting in the name of this community are being so narrow minded that they fail to see that this so called ‘battle’ against western culture they are fighting will have only negative consequences to their own community.

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate friendship. Expressing one’s love isn’t a crime and definitely not an excuse to chase and beat up innocent girls – or boys for that matter. Is celebrating friendship and one’s love against Indian culture? Who has given these fellows the right to be the guardians of our culture and religion? Is there any part in our Holy Scriptures such as the Ramayana or the Bhagavad gita where people are prohibited from celebrating friendship and openly expressing their love? God would surely have given his blessings to those willing to do so.

What has happened in Karnataka is shocking. There are growing fears that this will occur in other states as well. The Indian society having chosen to be guided by democratic principles should never allow or tolerate acts that undermine and violate these very principles. The secular and democratic fabric of the Indian society should never be allowed to be at the mercy of a few irresponsible bigots!

Ashish Padaruth

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/ajql53]

Now in its third year, the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) is organizing the Entrepreneurship Week from the 7th to the 14th of February. This year, with over 400 colleges and 4,00,000 students participating, the theme being followed is “Go Green”.

12 colleges from Pune have applied for the Championship this year. During the week, students will aim to focus attention on sustainable development, green business opportunities, and innovative solutions to environmental problems. Students will be mobilized to take part in a wide range of activities and programs – both online and face-to-face. These will include expert panel discussions on alternative forms of energy, competitions to identify and debate on green opportunities, educational movie screenings exhibitions to showcase ideas and ventures of students, and much more!

Bharat Surana, student coordinator of the E-cell of SICSR-Arsh, one of the participating cells, says “We have brought the PMC, PETA and other organizations together to spread the word of a green lifestyle. We are organizing a Cycle Chalo and Save Animals drive among other things during the week.”

Other institutes also part of the celebrations are Indira, ISBM, HNIMR, SCMLD and Sinhagad Institue to name a few. Visit these campuses to see the drive of green entrepreneurship among young students. Go pledge yourself for this effort. We Can, We Will.

Sahil Khan

[ratings]

The world we live in today is not only fraught with great changes but also great worries. Terrorism, disease and poverty, expectations out of great leaders and even corporate frauds have become an everyday affair. Perhaps, most of all, it is this crippling malaise of worry that has helped us make no progress at all, except for our world’s “marvelous” growth in terms of layoffs, buyouts, corporate restructuring, downsizing, cutbacks, retrenchments, outplacement and pare backs.

These days we need a whole new dictionary just to keep up with the new age euphemisms. Hostile take-overs and ‘cost-containment’ sounds mean enough to give you an ulcer or two. Some say the current state can lead to another great depression and yet another world war. Celebrations should break out, for this is yet another cause of worry!

The post war boom went bust. Competition at one level went bust. Quality became the key. Europe started unifying, the third world countries started elbowing their way in and most of the cushiness has gone out of modern capitalism. No wonder Obama has picked up the most fashionable word of the century – change. So what has emerged is a new regime of worry. People are doing anything to keep their jobs and families intact. Therefore, we might just have to revert back to the money-minting phrase of ‘maintaining a positive attitude’.

Emotional sickness has taken more lives than small pox. Perhaps it will end up costing more lives than the Iraq war in the near future. So,Yoga and meditative Tai Chi have become fashionable. Shrinks are charging double (on account of recession or otherwise) and if you can come up with a book titled, say, ‘How to keep your jobs and sanity’ or ‘100 ways to survive in the belly of a corporate shark’, then you can virtually become the next J.K.Rowling. No wonder, adult versions of fairy tales have come out; Obama’s cliched ‘hope and change’ speech is receiving accolades and the Cinderella story of Slumdog Millionaire is ‘in’; anything to escape the parasite of worry!

But this is not saying that change is bad, for if there were no changes, there would be no butterflies. Look at what happened to IBM a few years back; the once invincible computer giant experienced huge cutbacks and its dominance was challenged by a number of small companies worldwide. Lean and competitive companies are giving way to the dinosaurs of tomorrow — the ones with teeth of creativity and flexibility!

Shohini Sengupta

[ratings]

[image courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/clkkj8]