-
The only reading that counts is reading for pleasure
A couple of days ago a hushed silence descended over the literary world as Shakespeare’s birthday was celebrated, his plays in 37 languages rolled out and Dumas' famous words 'After God, Shakespeare has created most' were fondly recounted. That day, marked by UNESCO as World Book day, was a landmark event #Anton Chekov #CultureDecoder #India #reading
-
Have a demon child? It’s all genetic
Can a child possibly be born bad? Ask any parent this question and the answer will be an unequivocal, "NO", followed by a horrified expression that will condemn you for eternity. As parents we may be ready to accept that our child is not a born genius or a gifted #children #niceness gene #Oxytocin #Parenting #State University Of New York #University of California
-
Girls just wanna get inked
What could Samantha Cameron, wife of the British Prime Minister David Cameron, possibly have in common with Amy Winehouse, the late rocker chick with alcohol abuse issues? Other than the fact that both women are English, they are also bound by an uncommon love for tattoos. If it comes as #Amy Winehouse #CultureDecoder #Deepika Padukone #Fashion #Helen Mirren #Sanjay Dutt #Tattooing #United Kingdom
-
Men get away with being fat. Why can’t women?
It had to happen one day. Body weight had to eventually become a matter of national law given the obsession it has sparked the world over. In an attempt to save its girls from being victims of malnourishment, Israel has actually placed a ban on employing underweight female models who #CultureDecoder #India #Israel #Nutrition #obesity #Overweight #Ram Kapoor #Underweight
-
Modern motherhood: Nannify, bitch less, hug more
When Adam Mansbach wrote Go the Fuck To Sleep during his two-hour struggle to put his baby daughter to bed, he had no idea his despair would spark a global frenzy. The book, a collection of exasperated verse by a sleep-deprived father, went on to become the No #1 Bestseller #Adam Mansbach #Go the fuck to sleep #HowThisWorks #modern mothers #nanny
-
A Dutch ban on pot sales? Say it isn’t so
If you happen to be in holiday planning mode for the upcoming summer break then Amsterdam should figure on your agenda if it hasn't already. By the time May rolls around next year, the singular experience of purchasing a side order of hashish brownies with your morning cup of coffee #Hashish #ItsJustWrong #Legality of cannabis #Netherlands
-
Holi freedoms: Flirt with the neighbour’s wife
It was 30 years ago that the song, which would go on to become the national anthem of Holi, first hit our screens. A young married couple is celebrating Holi with friends. The air is thick with gulaal and verbal banter. Bhaang and music are flowing all around. But also #CultureDecoder #Holi #Indian morality #Krishna
-
Whither Uggie: Why Bollywood doesn’t like dogs
If you’ve seen The Artist, you’ve probably come out of the theatre saying: Wow. What an actor. And then there were those who came out and said: Wow. What a dog! I confess I did the latter. I suspect there are several other idiots like me, drooling over dogs when #CultureDecoder #Jean Dujardin #The Artist #Tuffy #Uggie
-
The Bollywood award show: This ain’t no Oscars
On Sunday night when the nation sat down in front of their television screens to watch ‘India’s answer to the Oscars’ the question on their minds was not ‘Who will win the best picture this year?’ but closer to ‘Who will SRK and RK rip apart this year?’. They knew #Amitabh Bachchan #Amole Gupte #Filmfare Awards #IdiotBox #Stanley Ka Dabba #The Oscars
-
Can women sell whiskey, and men, sanitary napkins?
It’s been an ironical week — the saffron brigade took charge of running Mumbai city at the same time that women took charge of running the alcohol industry. Diageo yesterday ‘uncorked a bouquet of women to run its India operations’. The company promoted former Tata Global Beverages executive Abanti Shankaranarayanan #Abanti Shankaranarayanan #Diageo PLC #JustSaying #Whiskey