blogs


The art of the sport

By Rose Wynn | March 31, 2009, midnight | In Sports Blog »

Kicks fly high. Flyers soar in the air. Girls jump and move across the court with energy, beaming with smiles as wide as the poms they clutch in their hands. Many doubt that girls in skirts and smiles can participate in hard-core athletics, and the job is a lot harder than it looks.


BangaLore #17: In the 'hood

By Sonalee Rau | March 22, 2009, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

At midnight if you listen out the window, you can hear the neighbors playing table tennis. During the Olympics, they celebrated every night with their television turned up to maximum volume. They're Chinese immigrants and they live next door in an apartment complex full of Buddhists. There's a statue of a Hindu idol outside the gate.


Bangalore #16: Screen time

By Sonalee Rau | March 16, 2009, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Indians aren't heavily into sports. In Bangalore, it's mainly just cricket, badminton...and surfing. Channel surfing, that is. Indian television is almost like American television, except sans WETA phone-a-thons and with a few twists.


BangaLore #15: Charity case

By Sonalee Rau | March 9, 2009, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Last month I saw a beggar woman sprinting down the street. She had stolen a businessman's laptop, hoping to make a quick buck by selling it - and he was at her heels. But not all lower-class Bangaloreans are thieves. Many are generous and charitable despite their financial situations. Random acts of kindness aren't extinct in Bangalore quite yet.


No fan's land

By Susie Branson | March 5, 2009, midnight | In Sports Blog »

Three, two, one - BEEP. The gym erupts with victorious cheers as the stands struggle under the weight of jumping fans who are supporting their fellow classmates and school. Or at least, it should have.


BangaLore #14: The fundamentals don't apply

By Sonalee Rau | March 1, 2009, 11:02 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

In India, the regular rules of the universe don't seem to be in effect. Take, for example, the laws of time and space. Einstein stated unequivocally that they can't be bent, yet this country proves otherwise. "In a minute" to an Indian can mean anywhere from an hour to two days.


A fun night at the Kodak Theatre

By Anika Manzoor | Feb. 26, 2009, 1:44 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

I never watch Oscar-worthy movies until well after the awards season...which is why I watch the Academy Awards not to see who goes home with the most gold, but to see all the gorgeous dresses and the entertainment. After last year's show of forgettable gowns and a so-so host (love ya, Jon, but stick to "The Daily Show"), the 2009 Oscars celebration was quite a treat for this shallow viewer.


BangaLore #13: What not to wear

By Sonalee Rau | Feb. 23, 2009, 10:35 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

What, really, is the dress code on Bangalorean streets? Well, when in Bangalore, do as the Bangaloreans do. For one thing, wearing "revealing" clothing like shorts above the knee is generally taboo. Yet sandals are a given for both men and women in Bangalore - whether on a walk in the park or at a formal gathering.


Executive pay caps are for the best

By David Tao | Feb. 19, 2009, midnight | In News Blog »

You don't have to be a corporate accountant to know that executives make more money than the rest of us. This is the way it's always been - and in a way, it makes sense: as a person climbs up the corporate ladder, their responsibilities increase dramatically and their salaries should reflect that. Then again, the earnings of corporate executives may reflect their positions a little too well.


Twenty-five things I could do without

By Rose Wynn | Feb. 18, 2009, 11:51 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

It has taken the online social networking world by storm. The "25 Random Things" note, which asks Facebook users to list 25 interesting, bizarre, fun and often surprisingly revealing facts about themselves, is part of a new and strangely addicting phenomenon.


Favre: Gone for good

By Anshul Sood | Feb. 18, 2009, 1:20 p.m. | In Sports Blog »

On March 4, 2008, Brett Favre declared his retirement from the NFL. But when the 2008 - 2009 season rolled around, there was Favre in a New York Jets jersey. After an up-and-down season, Favre is calling it quits again. On Feb. 11, Favre announced his retirement from the Jets and the league. And this time, it looks like we won't be seeing Favre in a uniform again.


Wanted: a real hero

By Katie Sint | Feb. 17, 2009, 1:54 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

When I was a kid, my celebrity hero was chef Julia Child. She was a WWII veteran and inspired my love of all cooking shows. She may have been old and her cooking styles may have been simple, but she was my hero.


BangaLore #12: Southern (Indian) hospitality

By Sonalee Rau | Feb. 10, 2009, 1:30 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Bangalorean dinner parties are seriously time consuming. If you've ever been to one, you know what I mean. Here's the basic schedule...


The impossible dream

By Sean Howard | Jan. 27, 2009, 10:25 a.m. | In Connections Blog »

Recently, Fairfax County transportation planners developed a no-cost proposal to deliver high school students to school later in the morning, possibly pushing the starting bell to 8:30 a.m. from 7:20 a.m. Excuse me while I find a suitable outlet for my jealousy.


BangaLore #10: An unnatural limbo

By Sonalee Rau | Jan. 21, 2009, 10:13 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

There are few places so totally in harmony with nature as Bangalore. South Indian parties and "functions" feature meals served on banana leaves, the perfect disposable plates. Cows roam the streets freely and motorists tend to give them the right of way.


Baywatch: one Blazer's efforts to call attention to our troubled waters

By Deepa Chellappa | Jan. 10, 2009, midnight | In News Blog »

In elementary and middle school, I remember painting huge signs throughout the hallways: "Don't pollute!", "Save the Bay!", "We drink this water too!" We read articles in science classes about attempts to revive the Bay, and took field trips to the estuary to learn about runoff, nitrogen pollution and oyster populations. We were involved in our local environment, deeply invested in a water source a mere hour from our homes.


BangaLore #9: How to talk first class

By Sonalee Rau | Jan. 10, 2009, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Well, since we're finally in 2009 (the year before the year of all years...ONE-OH) here's a little something from SCO to you: the official unofficial guide to talking like an Indian! Practice speaking with these "Indianisms" to be as hip as those "Slumdog Millionaire" characters.


BangaLore #8: Joe the rickshaw driver

By Sonalee Rau | Jan. 8, 2009, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

India is a kaleidoscope, a tapestry woven of 17 languages and a billion people. And it's people who give the country its color: the seemingly ordinary, unsung heroes of everyday life, the blue-collar workers.


Cut Caroline some slack

By Sophia Deng | Jan. 5, 2009, midnight | In News Blog »

Caroline Kennedy may not be the most qualified potential appointee for the vacant New York Senate seat, but she's certainly qualified. Despite the media's harping on her lack of intelligence and expertise, Kennedy's resumé has more substance than most critics are acknowledging.


Prices may fall, but keep our awareness up

By Jenna Bushnell | Dec. 27, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

With all of this holiday cheer and flakes of snow comes what seems like another blessing: low gas prices. Sure, maybe not the first thing you think of when you think of the excitement of winter break, but according to CNN, gas prices are at a five-year low at $1.65 per gallon and that is something to be thankful for.


River of water needs a massive plan

By Charles Kong | Dec. 26, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Shouts of joy rang throughout the SAC during 5A lunch on Tuesday as news of an early release day quickly spread from table to table. Some students exited in a rush to get to their lockers, others remained to hang out one last time with their friends. Getting out two and a half hours early the last day before winter break seemed too good to be true.


BangaLore #7: Pass the ketchup

By Sonalee Rau | Dec. 23, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

"My, how THIN you've gotten! Come in and eat something!" Every Indian has heard this upon visiting the home of a long-lost relative. Whether or not one has actually lost weight is irrelevant. If someone asks you if you want more food at an Indian meal, it's a rhetorical question.


Shrubs and shoes

By | Dec. 19, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Our beloved President Bush ducked. No, he did not duck away from his pathetic, dismal presidency or from his creepy vice president, but ducked away for two size-10 shoes hurled at him during a press conference in Iraq on Sunday.


BangaLore #6: The price is right

By Sonalee Rau | Dec. 15, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Every day is Black Friday in Bangalore. Comic Russell Peters proudly proclaimed to the world on one of his shows that "all Indians are cheap." And while that's a bit of a blanket statement, most Indians are, truthfully, pretty frugal. It's part of the culture. Why go all the way to the grocery store when there are door-to-door vegetable vendors? It's easier than Peapod and more affordable, too.


BangaLore #5: Hot off the press

By Sonalee Rau | Dec. 8, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

When I entered the austere, white concrete reception hall at the Times of India (ToI) printing press in Bangalore, filled with plastic chairs, I stopped in my tracks for a moment. Could this press, I questioned, really be the largest facility of its kind in all South Asia?

We found 689 results.