Monday, April 23, 2007

The faster we run, the more we stay in the same spot

Well, well....it does seem true--a blogroll of Hyderabadiz is something of a contradiction in terms--we're too laidback as a community to blog as much as we might want to. And if we choose to, our attempts are no different than our desperate efforts to negotiate Hyderabadi traffic--in tune with the chaos that adds up to life in this undefinably insane, 'paradise on earth'.

WYSIWYG: Hyderabadiz Flickr Badge is picked by 3 Bloggers
Thank you guys for going an extra mile




It's not always that blogs get noticed....we've been a shade lucky in that some of our 'virtual' friends have posted our flickr badge on their sites. We doff our hats in grateful acknowledgment to them.The truth is that life (virtual and real) at least elsewhere in the world, is whizzing by at breakneckspeed and things seem to be changing faster than the click of a mouse.

see also: 5 Reasons to Update Your Blog

Saturday, April 14, 2007

The other face of Hyderabad....


Strong winds wreak havoc; two killed The Hindu, Apr 15, 2007

Shopping, food are good in Hyderabad :
Vishaka Singh, IndiaGlitz.com, April 22, 2007



All it takes is a cloudburst or a determined shower, so to say, to throw city life completely out of gear. If the wind-god decides to puff and blow, Hyderabad has had it. Hoardings go flying, trees get uprooted, power lines snap, and life, in short, gets totally dislocated. If two tall trees sway this way and that, our electricity folks feel they've had enough.We who belong to this third world city that nurses delusions of leapfrogging into an elite club of metropolises know how to sift the grain of reality from the chaff of hype and illusion...
It's a bit difficult to swallow the bitter pill that a city that lays claims to competing with Shanghai or Singapore, has infrastructure so flimsy and frayed at the seams, that a downpour can paralyze it and a deluge all but destroy it. But that's the plain ole truth--Hyderabad is an overgrown village and if you need further evidence--after all the polluted lakes, overcrowded localities, ill-equipped hospitals, pathetic schools, choked drains, land grabbing cases and insane traffic--you need help!
On this rather sober note we look at our beloved city this week--preferring NOT to look at its hoariness, heritage, history, aristocracy, culture and legacy, for the moment. Remember Faiz--"Aur bhi dukh haiN zamaane meiN mohabbat ke siwa..."

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Hyderabad's culture scene


Speaking of the city's culture scene, the Times of India, Hyderabad's Festival drew big stars and impressive crowds. Vani Ganapathi's Bharatanatyam performance, Ghulam Ali's Ghazal evening and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's Sarod recital, were events I couldn't attend, but Hyderabad made it to. I did manage to go to the plays, 'Dance Like a Man' (Mahesh Dattani's play, directed by Lillette Dubey) and 'The Vagina Monologues', which was directed by Mahbanoo Modi Kotwal and featured her and Dolly Thakore, Sonali and Jayati Bhatia. The culture scene's warming up as is the city, with rising temperatures.

PS. Image courtesy: Musical evening in the lap of royalty @ Der Sturm in meinem Kopf and Sarod Recital By Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Sons @ fullhyderabad.com

see also: The Times Hyderabad Festival Concert Review by Emma @ Desicritics.org