India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com - Chai and Chat http://www.indiamike.com/india May we talk here? Talk about anything about India with other Members of the forum. Formerly the Yak Yak Yak forum. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:19:34 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.indiamike.com/india/images/misc/rss.jpg India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com - Chai and Chat http://www.indiamike.com/india Calling on men and boys to take stand against domestic violence http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/calling-on-men-and-boys-to-take-stand-against-domestic-violence-t95662/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:19:02 GMT Video: Let's Breakthrough Together ]]> Chai and Chat Sama http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/calling-on-men-and-boys-to-take-stand-against-domestic-violence-t95662/ Merchant in the News http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/merchant-in-the-news-t95488/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:24:07 GMT Congratulations to IMer Merchant on a major interview in today's The Hindu about his life and photography

Quote:
Sampling a vibrant diaspora

Capturing Indian identity through the prism of Indian's new homelands. That is Preston Merchant's magnum opus. A New York-based freelance photographer, Merchant was enthralled by India at the outset of his career, and decided to look for its cultural progeny throughout the globe. He has been chronicling the Indian diaspora with his pictures for almost a decade now. His project, IndiaWorld, will culminate in a book, which he should complete in about a year.

...
See the full interview here from The Hindu

It looks good online; it looks very impressive indeed in print :) ]]> Chai and Chat Nick-H http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/merchant-in-the-news-t95488/ The Great Circular Indian Bread Challenge http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/the-great-circular-indian-bread-challenge-t95463/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:59:33 GMT You may know that we're organising a train trip round the edges of the country in 2011.
I am keen to ensure that we optimise the culinary side of things and we'll be spending a lot of the lengthy lead up to this working out how we can spend all that time sitting on tains to good eating use.
We've stumbled across the concept of The Great Circular Indian BREAD Challenge as we've got so many circular breads to go through.
I need to compile a fairly conclusive list of all the breads and their sub dialects.
So far I have this meager list, I'm sure you can do a lot better. Could you please mention where your variety is from. If the only known purveyor is your mum then if you live anywhere along the thick blue line may be you could give us a sample ;).

Roti,
paratha.
puri ,
paani puri,
thepla,
dosa,
idly,
chapatti,
maki d roti,
pooranpoli,
Til wali Roti,
sakayang sadi roti,
Bhakri
and I just found out there are 26 kinds of dosas!, I assume that means the dosa itself not the filling.
If anyone knows where exactly these roti varieties are from I'd appreciate it. Stuffed versions dont count by the way, we'd be here for eternity otherwise. Just the basic bread or other starch-based accompaniment. (note it has to be circular)

We'll be having a contest for who can get through the most kinds of varieties, and for the best bread we find (most likely the one with the nearest oven so the bread turns up still deflating) ]]> Chai and Chat Mark_Lester http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/the-great-circular-indian-bread-challenge-t95463/ Single Lady Visitors - Do You Want A Tour Guide? http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/single-lady-visitors-do-you-want-a-tour-guide-t95451/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:50:41 GMT I read this today in The Hindustan Times, had a good laugh: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/columnsothers/Thank-You-Come-Again/Article1-476588.aspx I read this today in The Hindustan Times, had a good laugh:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-F...e1-476588.aspx ]]> Chai and Chat snonymous http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/single-lady-visitors-do-you-want-a-tour-guide-t95451/ 300,000 birds flying over Denmark http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/300-000-birds-flying-over-denmark-t95388/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:17:18 GMT I thought this was a cool video of 300,000 birds flying in Denmark. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93176?fp=1 Veeery trippy! I thought this was a cool video of 300,000 birds flying in Denmark.

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93176?fp=1

Veeery trippy! ]]> Chai and Chat ananda2193 http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/300-000-birds-flying-over-denmark-t95388/ Reality to the rescue http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/reality-to-the-rescue-t95342/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:59:31 GMT The glider in which Madhav was flying along with my uncle crashed in the Thar desert in Rajasthan,India. He woke up to find himself hurt and his uncle dead. Madhav was 15 years old then.Exhausted after crying for nearly an hour he checked the surroundings,he could see a vast and endless terrain of sand. It was very hot and he was sweating terribly. He then started wandering in the desert in search of water and the temperature was slowly rising. Desperate to get some water, he walked some miles away from wreckage. Suddenly he could see a pair of eyes staring at him from a distance. It was a fox and it slowly started to walk towards him. Madhav started running to save himself, dehydrated from the heat he could barely run. Exhausted, he fell down, the fox came near him and just when it was about to open its mouth over his face, he woke up in his house in Hyderabad to find his brother getting ready for school. This is how reality came to my rescue when i was in tenth standard. Hi I am Madhav. The night I had this dream i watched a movie in which something similar happens to a kid in the movie. There are 2 other dreams which i remember very well. Today i slept in the afternoon for sometime. In the dream i was in my hometown in a sweet shop. I ordered the sweet, Milk mysore pak. After finishing it when i went to the counter to pay ,i found that I did not have any money with me . Thinking what to do, i suddenly woke up. Again reality to the rescue.In the evening i went to the sweet shop here and bought milk mysore pak, i checked twice if I was carrying enough money .A case of dream come true i thought. Most of us must be remembering some dreams very well. Share them with others here. The glider in which Madhav was flying along with my uncle crashed in the Thar desert in Rajasthan,India. He woke up to find himself hurt and his uncle dead. Madhav was 15 years old then.Exhausted after crying for nearly an hour he checked the surroundings,he could see a vast and endless terrain of sand. It was very hot and he was sweating terribly. He then started wandering in the desert in search of water and the temperature was slowly rising. Desperate to get some water, he walked some miles away from wreckage. Suddenly he could see a pair of eyes staring at him from a distance. It was a fox and it slowly started to walk towards him. Madhav started running to save himself, dehydrated from the heat he could barely run. Exhausted, he fell down, the fox came near him and just when it was about to open its mouth over his face, he woke up in his house in Hyderabad to find his brother getting ready for school. This is how reality came to my rescue when i was in tenth standard. Hi I am Madhav. The night I had this dream i watched a movie in which something similar happens to a kid in the movie.

There are 2 other dreams which i remember very well. Today i slept in the afternoon for sometime. In the dream i was in my hometown in a sweet shop. I ordered the sweet, Milk mysore pak. After finishing it when i went to the counter to pay ,i found that I did not have any money with me . Thinking what to do, i suddenly woke up. Again reality to the rescue.In the evening i went to the sweet shop here and bought milk mysore pak, i checked twice if I was carrying enough money .A case of dream come true i thought.


Most of us must be remembering some dreams very well. Share them with others here. ]]> Chai and Chat madhav175 http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/reality-to-the-rescue-t95342/ Monsanto marches on India; India lies down. http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/monsanto-marches-on-india-india-lies-down-t95312/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:53:03 GMT
Quote:
The truth about Bt brinjal

K P Prabhakaran Nair
...

One of the most important parameters to test the safety of Bt crops is heat stability. Heat stability studies carried out on the Bt protein in Bt brinjal highlight serious lapses on the part of the GEAC, which, though a bio-safety watchdog, acts like the handmaiden of Monsanto. Heat stability tests demonstrate whether or not the Bt toxin persists after cooking. The company claims that, once cooked, the toxin is destroyed. Yet, available facts prove the contrary.

...
Just a snippet; please read The full article at The New Indian Express ]]> Chai and Chat Nick-H http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/monsanto-marches-on-india-india-lies-down-t95312/ Adoption. Adult adoption? http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/adoption-adult-adoption-t95246/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:54:55 GMT This may sound a bit funny.

However, I was talking with a co-worker of mine and she jokingly said she would adopt me (as a son, or brother?) so I could live in India.

Now, just for curiosity's sake...would that even be feasible?? I am not asking if it's easy, because I am pretty sure it would not be a fast easy process...I am asking is it even possible. I am 21 years old, with only a US citizenship.

-Tim ]]> Chai and Chat timmmber http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/adoption-adult-adoption-t95246/ south indians add extra h to their names, http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/south-indians-add-extra-h-to-their-names-t95160/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:42:14 GMT Hey why do we people (im south indian) add extra h to their names, like the names of girls in north india are shruti, nitya, preeti, sunita, etc but if that girl is born in South India they name as shruthi, nithya, preethi, sunitha, etc etc any idea??? Hey why do we people (im south indian) add extra h to their names, like the names of girls in north india are shruti, nitya, preeti, sunita, etc but if that girl is born in South India they name as shruthi, nithya, preethi, sunitha, etc etc any idea??? ]]> Chai and Chat rsk11584 http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/south-indians-add-extra-h-to-their-names-t95160/ Travel Quotes http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/travel-quotes-t95154/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:13:55 GMT Just a couple of nice travel quotes by American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)


Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

- Innocents Abroad



I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them
.
-Tom Sawyer Abroad

Post any other good ones that are short & to the point! ]]> Chai and Chat camelgirl http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/travel-quotes-t95154/ Massage Therapy http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/massage-therapy-t94986/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:29:23 GMT Greeting Indiamike!

My girlfriend is very close to getting her degree in Massage Therapy. I have a chance to work at a school in Kerala.

I would like to hear some opinion on a few things:
Do you think she would get better success in a smaller village or town, or in a city? Doing massage therapy. We would prefer to be in a smaller place.

With Ayurveda being there, and Ayurvedic Massages etc. How do you think the more western Massage Therapy might go over with the people?

I already know the visa logistics we face...I just want to hear your opinions on how successful, or what responses we could expect.

I anticipate skepticism at first.

Thank you very much on anything you'd like to send my way!

-Tim ]]> Chai and Chat timmmber http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/massage-therapy-t94986/ my two day venture in TATR region http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/my-two-day-venture-in-tatr-region-t94904/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:23:26 GMT The forest department in Chandrapur. My trip there, along with my friend Ambrish was unplanned. We reached Chandrapur, just to discuss a script outline in a quieter place. Stayed at one of the best hotels in Chandrapur, because somebody in the local bus stand told we need to get forest department’s passes to venture into the TATR region. There isn’t any tourist information center in the bus stand – just like all the other towns of Maharashtra. And I must mention Chandrapur is a historical place – an erstwhile capital of Gond kings – with several ruined fort walls and ancient temples! The hotel had no information as well. The guys at the reception stay behind the computer screens all the time, but had not a moment’s enthusiasm of even finding out from the Internet. One guy at the reception tried some phone calls, but could not come out with any idea where exactly (if at all) the particular forest office was. This is highly contrast to the Hotels in Himalayan region, who give you all the information at the reception. We went on with our pursuit by the known method of asking the riksawwalas and texiwalas (they call the taxies ‘Kalipili’ there.) and finally reached the TATR information office. The two room office was piled up with many cartoons of leaflets in English and Marathi about the region, still bundled and unused. We pulled out two, three from the pile and engaged ourselves while waiting for any of the authorities to arrive. The officer was absent (we didn’t ask for how many days). His steno Ambedkar (he has a fascination of calling people by their Titles instead of names, he insisted to know ours and repeatedly called us as Nayak and Beniwal) told us there is no ways we could get to stay inside the forest watch places. For that we have to take permission from Nagpur office (I forgot the particulars of that office), and that might take well after fifteen days. We insisted – and he suggested we should go to ‘Kodsa’ instead of Tadoba (in Tadoba they have closed the tourist resorts inside the region.) and stay at the forest rest house. We booked a room for two nights with him. We asked him why they have piled up the information leaflets in the office, and not distributed in the local hotels; he pat replied – ‘Why should we? We are the government officials, we don’t have any commercial interest. They are supposed to come to us and take the leaflets and other information from us.’ This is similar to the King type attitude of any of the government servant in India (the foremost negative factor in running this democratic country). And the purpose of the whole office was to book forest rest house for visitors @ Rs 200/- per night, and free for the gov’t officials of related depts.! Then we went to the private taxi stand to find out how to reach Kodsa, 35 kilometers from Chandrapur. The taxi drivers surrounded us like crows. There isn’t any proper office of the taxi drivers; and neither had they any awareness of the sensitivity and fragileness of the TATR region. You can find all kinds of private taxies, the drivers boast of AC petrol driven vehicles. But neither was meant for jungle safari inside such a beautiful place! Inside the TATR region Finally we decided to go in a state bus that makes a single trip for Kodsa village (35 – 40 families are settled there) in 5 o’clock in the evening, halts there in the night and returns at 7 o’clock in the morning. To spend the day we made half the road that was state highway (it connects Gadhchiroli); walked up to some seven kilometers and hitchhiked in a jeep that was on election duty. Reached the rest house by 4 o’clock to the surprise of the maintenance staff. ( because there is a check post in the beginning of the TATR region, after that one is not allowed to walk on foot – and we had no vehicles of our own.) And we came across several local people carrying bamboo in bicycles for sale! Also we came across a 100 year old functioning well (date of creation imprinted on the well wall) opposite to a 4-5 year old dysfunctioning water tank made by the government for a village nearby! A retired army Subedar Major is in charge of the rotation duty (or something they call to the patrolling officer). We requested him to take us with him. And he agreed after some persuasion. In the core area We were exited at the prospect of seeing some wild animals as well as the tiger. So we accompanied his team – consisting of him, a forest guard, the jeep driver, 5 - 6 local tribal (government gives them Rs 100 per day as stipend). One of the main tasks of the patrolling officer was to supply drinking water (taken out of a well in Kodsa village) to the forest beat boxes consisting of 4-5 guards each. Patrolling to check poaching seemed a subsidiary task for him and his men! The people call him Major lovingly and we also called him Major. He opened up to our constant quarries during his morning patrol. In between we saw fresh pugmarks of a full-grown tiger, hoof marks of the hoards of bison, two magnificent Neelgais and a peahen and a solitary rabbit. ‘What is the government doing for us?’ was his first grievance against the government. He has been on duty there since last 20 years. But the salaries have constantly been irregular. This time the staffs have not been paid for 7 months altogether. They were hoping to get the salary before Diwali. But it did not arrive. ‘We were supposed to employ the locals so that they can protect the jungle with their knowledge and awareness. But when you don’t pay them for 7-8 months what will they do? The are forced to cut trees and bamboos and poach animals.’ Look at me- he said, ‘I have only two government staffs with me in the patrol. We are not given any arms. How do you expect us to tackle the poachers who come armed with rifles?...the locals never go against one of their own.’ We were wandering, with all the talks in the newspapers about tiger protection, prime minister’s hearty speeches and donations pouring from allover the world in the name of project tiger, why the staffs are not paid for seven – eight months. He continued – ‘the people staying in the villages inside TATR were asked to evict two years back. They were given 4 lakhs per person and four acres of land par family. Yet only few people went to live outside. Most of them stayed back because, they have been living all their lives inside the jungle, tilling their paddy fields and selling vegetables and jungle products to outside people. Now suddenly they were being thrown out of their homes; they don’t know what to do with all that money. So they don’t want to go. In addition there is huge malpractice in distribution of money. Also the one room houses they were given had no facilities of drinking water, the lands were barren – it could take years to develop those as farm lands. On the top of that the educated young people of the villages are telling them about the government sanctioning the ‘Patta’ of their land holdings.’ ‘So’, he says, ‘the fate of the tigers are bleak - say whatever you want to say’. We came out of the TATR We accompanied him in one morning and one evening patrol – in this pathetic Mahindra pickup jeep that screamed terribly like a low flying helicopter and polluted the air. The locals joked about the jeep – this was to scare the animals; so that they know the Major is on the prowl. In the evening we sited wet tiger pugmarks (apparently of another tiger) near a water hole. But unfortunately we could not see the king himself. We wanted to extend our stay for two days more. But the actual kings (the government servants) had booked the rest house – for free to celebrate Diwali vacations with family and friends. So we poor common men and the poor animals there had no other way but to run away from them. So we came back in the morning bus to Chandrapur. The local tribal women were the co passengers carrying the papayas, beans, kaddu, Kakdis, saag etc to sell in the nearby towns. One woman gifted the bus conductor (another king) a big kaddu. He quipped greedily, ‘gift me another one’! We visited Ballarsah, the nearest town of Chandrapur with thriving paper industry and coalfiels – and polluting the air like anything. There, while visiting the forest department’s prized 8 hundred year old teak log and some tree fossils, one of the forest officials told us a tigress had given birth to 6 cubs in TATR region. We came back with some excitement that there might be hope for this animal – just to read your yesterday’s paper that they have found four orphan cubs and no mother! …… There was a photograph of a majestic tiger on the wall of the forest rest house at Kodsa. We asked about it. Major said – it was a tigress, photographed in broad daylight near the rest house itself. It was named Baby Bai when it killed a tribal woman of Kodsa of that name last year. We asked what happened to the tigress. Major looks at the cook and tells with a suppressed voice – we never found him – apparently the local people had…. The forest department in Chandrapur.

My trip there, along with my friend Ambrish was unplanned. We reached Chandrapur, just to discuss a script outline in a quieter place. Stayed at one of the best hotels in Chandrapur, because somebody in the local bus stand told we need to get forest department’s passes to venture into the TATR region. There isn’t any tourist information center in the bus stand – just like all the other towns of Maharashtra. And I must mention Chandrapur is a historical place – an erstwhile capital of Gond kings – with several ruined fort walls and ancient temples!

The hotel had no information as well. The guys at the reception stay behind the computer screens all the time, but had not a moment’s enthusiasm of even finding out from the Internet. One guy at the reception tried some phone calls, but could not come out with any idea where exactly (if at all) the particular forest office was. This is highly contrast to the Hotels in Himalayan region, who give you all the information at the reception.

We went on with our pursuit by the known method of asking the riksawwalas and texiwalas (they call the taxies ‘Kalipili’ there.) and finally reached the TATR information office. The two room office was piled up with many cartoons of leaflets in English and Marathi about the region, still bundled and unused. We pulled out two, three from the pile and engaged ourselves while waiting for any of the authorities to arrive. The officer was absent (we didn’t ask for how many days). His steno Ambedkar (he has a fascination of calling people by their Titles instead of names, he insisted to know ours and repeatedly called us as Nayak and Beniwal) told us there is no ways we could get to stay inside the forest watch places. For that we have to take permission from Nagpur office (I forgot the particulars of that office), and that might take well after fifteen days. We insisted – and he suggested we should go to ‘Kodsa’ instead of Tadoba (in Tadoba they have closed the tourist resorts inside the region.) and stay at the forest rest house. We booked a room for two nights with him. We asked him why they have piled up the information leaflets in the office, and not distributed in the local hotels; he pat replied – ‘Why should we? We are the government officials, we don’t have any commercial interest. They are supposed to come to us and take the leaflets and other information from us.’

This is similar to the King type attitude of any of the government servant in India (the foremost negative factor in running this democratic country). And the purpose of the whole office was to book forest rest house for visitors @ Rs 200/- per night, and free for the gov’t officials of related depts.!

Then we went to the private taxi stand to find out how to reach Kodsa, 35 kilometers from Chandrapur. The taxi drivers surrounded us like crows. There isn’t any proper office of the taxi drivers; and neither had they any awareness of the sensitivity and fragileness of the TATR region. You can find all kinds of private taxies, the drivers boast of AC petrol driven vehicles. But neither was meant for jungle safari inside such a beautiful place!


Inside the TATR region

Finally we decided to go in a state bus that makes a single trip for Kodsa village (35 – 40 families are settled there) in 5 o’clock in the evening, halts there in the night and returns at 7 o’clock in the morning.

To spend the day we made half the road that was state highway (it connects Gadhchiroli); walked up to some seven kilometers and hitchhiked in a jeep that was on election duty. Reached the rest house by 4 o’clock to the surprise of the maintenance staff. ( because there is a check post in the beginning of the TATR region, after that one is not allowed to walk on foot – and we had no vehicles of our own.)

And we came across several local people carrying bamboo in bicycles for sale! Also we came across a 100 year old functioning well (date of creation imprinted on the well wall) opposite to a 4-5 year old dysfunctioning water tank made by the government for a village nearby!

A retired army Subedar Major is in charge of the rotation duty (or something they call to the patrolling officer). We requested him to take us with him. And he agreed after some persuasion.

In the core area

We were exited at the prospect of seeing some wild animals as well as the tiger. So we accompanied his team – consisting of him, a forest guard, the jeep driver, 5 - 6 local tribal (government gives them Rs 100 per day as stipend). One of the main tasks of the patrolling officer was to supply drinking water (taken out of a well in Kodsa village) to the forest beat boxes consisting of 4-5 guards each. Patrolling to check poaching seemed a subsidiary task for him and his men!

The people call him Major lovingly and we also called him Major. He opened up to our constant quarries during his morning patrol. In between we saw fresh pugmarks of a full-grown tiger, hoof marks of the hoards of bison, two magnificent Neelgais and a peahen and a solitary rabbit.

‘What is the government doing for us?’ was his first grievance against the government. He has been on duty there since last 20 years. But the salaries have constantly been irregular. This time the staffs have not been paid for 7 months altogether. They were hoping to get the salary before Diwali. But it did not arrive. ‘We were supposed to employ the locals so that they can protect the jungle with their knowledge and awareness. But when you don’t pay them for 7-8 months what will they do? The are forced to cut trees and bamboos and poach animals.’ Look at me- he said, ‘I have only two government staffs with me in the patrol. We are not given any arms. How do you expect us to tackle the poachers who come armed with rifles?...the locals never go against one of their own.’

We were wandering, with all the talks in the newspapers about tiger protection, prime minister’s hearty speeches and donations pouring from allover the world in the name of project tiger, why the staffs are not paid for seven – eight months.

He continued – ‘the people staying in the villages inside TATR were asked to evict two years back. They were given 4 lakhs per person and four acres of land par family. Yet only few people went to live outside. Most of them stayed back because, they have been living all their lives inside the jungle, tilling their paddy fields and selling vegetables and jungle products to outside people. Now suddenly they were being thrown out of their homes; they don’t know what to do with all that money. So they don’t want to go. In addition there is huge malpractice in distribution of money. Also the one room houses they were given had no facilities of drinking water, the lands were barren – it could take years to develop those as farm lands. On the top of that the educated young people of the villages are telling them about the government sanctioning the ‘Patta’ of their land holdings.’

‘So’, he says, ‘the fate of the tigers are bleak - say whatever you want to say’.

We came out of the TATR

We accompanied him in one morning and one evening patrol – in this pathetic Mahindra pickup jeep that screamed terribly like a low flying helicopter and polluted the air. The locals joked about the jeep – this was to scare the animals; so that they know the Major is on the prowl. In the evening we sited wet tiger pugmarks (apparently of another tiger) near a water hole. But unfortunately we could not see the king himself.

We wanted to extend our stay for two days more. But the actual kings (the government servants) had booked the rest house – for free to celebrate Diwali vacations with family and friends. So we poor common men and the poor animals there had no other way but to run away from them.

So we came back in the morning bus to Chandrapur. The local tribal women were the co passengers carrying the papayas, beans, kaddu, Kakdis, saag etc to sell in the nearby towns. One woman gifted the bus conductor (another king) a big kaddu. He quipped greedily, ‘gift me another one’!

We visited Ballarsah, the nearest town of Chandrapur with thriving paper industry and coalfiels – and polluting the air like anything. There, while visiting the forest department’s prized 8 hundred year old teak log and some tree fossils, one of the forest officials told us a tigress had given birth to 6 cubs in TATR region. We came back with some excitement that there might be hope for this animal – just to read your yesterday’s paper that they have found four orphan cubs and no mother!

……

There was a photograph of a majestic tiger on the wall of the forest rest house at Kodsa. We asked about it. Major said – it was a tigress, photographed in broad daylight near the rest house itself. It was named Baby Bai when it killed a tribal woman of Kodsa of that name last year. We asked what happened to the tigress. Major looks at the cook and tells with a suppressed voice – we never found him – apparently the local people had…. ]]> Chai and Chat Pradeep Nayak http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/my-two-day-venture-in-tatr-region-t94904/ Hand painted kashmiri crafts - wholesale http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/hand-painted-kashmiri-crafts-wholesale-t94698/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:24:00 GMT Hello all,

I've been looking for a wholesaler of papermaché kashmiri products - you know the little boxes, bells, balls, bracelets etc but I've had trouble doing so online and I don't have a trip planned soon. There's a wonderful shop in Khan Market in Delhi which stocksthis type of stuff from top to bottom but I can't find that online either to start searching.
If any of you know a wholesaler who specializes in these products or you have any ideas where I can find this out please reply!

Many thanks to all

Valini ]]> Chai and Chat Valini http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/hand-painted-kashmiri-crafts-wholesale-t94698/ Is wine healthier than grape juice? http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/is-wine-healthier-than-grape-juice-t94668/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:02 GMT This forum is the closest i have found to make my question sound relevant. Is red wine/white wine healthier than grape juice? I recently had red wine on two different occasions with my friends and i liked it.I want to have it when my parents are there and i even want my parents to try it as it is good for health. My father being a diabetic, could be good for his heart.In many Indian families like ours wine is not consumed at all. When the topic of wine had come up in the discussion with my parents i was trying to explain them the health benefits of red wine such as being good for the heart etc but then my parents argued that someone can instead have grape juice for which i did not have a convincing answer. Now i am myself confused about wine being better than grape juice when it comes to health benefits. My aunt from the U.S.A tells me that they have wine at least thrice in a week because it is healthy, she even tells me that her doctor in the U.S.A had advised her to have red wine daily during pregnancy which makes me think that it is better than grape juice. So finally the question again Is red/white wine healthier than grape juice? I have looked for information about this on the net but i have found conflicting answers. Can anyone give me some information regarding this. Mod note : thread moved to chai and chat This forum is the closest i have found to make my question sound relevant.

Is red wine/white wine healthier than grape juice?

I recently had red wine on two different occasions with my friends and i liked it.I want to have it when my parents are there and i even want my parents to try it as it is good for health. My father being a diabetic, could be good for his heart.In many Indian families like ours wine is not consumed at all. When the topic of wine had come up in the discussion with my parents i was trying to explain them the health benefits of red wine such as being good for the heart etc but then my parents argued that someone can instead have grape juice for which i did not have a convincing answer. Now i am myself confused about wine being better than grape juice when it comes to health benefits. My aunt from the U.S.A tells me that they have wine at least thrice in a week because it is healthy, she even tells me that her doctor in the U.S.A had advised her to have red wine daily during pregnancy which makes me think that it is better than grape juice. So finally the question again

Is red/white wine healthier than grape juice?

I have looked for information about this on the net but i have found conflicting answers. Can anyone give me some information regarding this.

Mod note : thread moved to chai and chat ]]> Chai and Chat madhav175 http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/is-wine-healthier-than-grape-juice-t94668/ looking for tailor for lady http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/looking-for-tailor-for-lady-t94492/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:20:34 GMT I am looking for a tailor in India who would make me some outfits to my measurements, and send them to me here in America. I am going to India in Jan., and want some clothes to wear there. Thanks I am looking for a tailor in India who would make me some outfits to my measurements, and send them to me here in America. I am going to India in Jan., and want some clothes to wear there. Thanks ]]> Chai and Chat paintbusters http://www.indiamike.com/india/chai-and-chat-f73/looking-for-tailor-for-lady-t94492/