Remembering Laurie Baker

The quizmaster looked pleased as he read out his next question 'With which profession is Laurie Baker associated?'. The gaggle of ten-year-olds surrounding him looked nonplussed. Laurie Baker who?

But one bespectacled kid smirked and awaited his turn. His competitors were busy offering guesses. He's a music director, ventured one gangly lad. His plump companion said Baker was an astronaut. Another thought he was a politician.

Soon it was our youngster's turn. "Housing and architecture," he piped up. "Correct," said the quizmaster grudgingly. "Two points to Tony"

Yup, the kid who answered correctly was yours truly. Laurie Baker helped me win that quiz ages ago. And how did I know the answer? It's time now to reveal the secret.

My mom used to work in an architect's office and one day she brought home a magazine with photos of houses designed by an English architect. "This guy builds absolutely amazing low-cost houses in Kerala," said Mom as she watched me set eyes on Laurie Baker's creations.

Baker died on Sunday. May he Rest in Peace.

Green war awaits South Delhi

Are you driving down to the NDTV office in South Delhi? I suggest you stop the car and step outside for a breath of fresh air. Look around you. Can you spot those majestic trees on both sides of the Josip Broz Tito Marg? Well, enjoy the sight while you can. Coz these tree-lined streets, a haven for morning walkers and nature enthusiasts, won't be around for much longer.

The villain of the piece is the High Capacity Bus System (HCBS) corridor, which will wend its way through here in the coming months. 2500 trees, many of them older than your dad, are being felled to make way for it.

Local residents and NGOs have come together under the 'Trees for Delhi' forum to fight Mother Nature's cause. Peace marches are being organised and flyers distributed at the affected spots. All people want is an end to rampant felling of trees and a more environment-friendly solution to constructing the HCBS corridor.

You too can take Mother Nature's side. Sign an online petition here

To know more about the issue, log on to www.treesfordelhi.com

April 2007 Blog Mela: Nominate Now

Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for this month's Blog Mela being hosted here on April 17

How does a Blog Mela work, you wonder. Well, take a peek at the March 2007 Blog Mela

Points to Ponder
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-15 April, 2007 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated.
- Only nominations received before midnight on April 15 will be featured
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

How to Nominate
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

Wanna Snailmail your Googlemail?

It's been two long months since a torrid affair with your friend's wife ended with her dumping you. Now, all you want is cold-blooded revenge. Relax, Google's there for you.

Just ask Gmail to print out all those scandalous mails she sent you ages ago and deliver it free to her doorstep. And watch her husband clutch at his chest when the friendly Google guy brings him this brutal dose of reality all stamped in trademark red Helvetica. Sweet revenge, huh?

Wouldn't be surprised if a couple of Indian newspapers make Google Paper the number one news in their technology section. All in all, it was one of the best April Fool's Day pranks this year.

Fools rush in

I thought and thought and thought but couldn't come up with any suitable April Fool's Day prank to play in office without getting fired. Any ideas?

And while you are thinking, you should consider checking out this survey on April Fool's Day pranks in the US

While some pranks are specifically designed for nerds

Others involve eating your books

And don't worry about the Internet. It's April Fool's Day here all year round

Shakuntala, Sita, Surpanakha...

Scherazade writes in to tell me her play Retellings is being staged at Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre next week. Unfortunately, I can't leave New Delhi right now but I urge all my Mumbai readers to make a beeline for Prithvi on 3rd and 4th April.

What Retellings is all about
Shakuntala, Sita, Surpanakha. Three women trapped in mythology find their voice. Shakuntala takes on Kalidasa, accusing the master playwright of legitimising her lover's betrayal, even as she celebrates the season of her love. As Lanka erupts in the flames of the Aryan invasion, Sita and Surpanakha find their stories intertwining.

Directed by: Scherazade Kaikobad
Cast: Amrita Puri, Vandita Vasa
Venue: Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai
Date: 3rd, 4th April 2007
Time: 9 pm
Tickets: Rs 50
Duration: An hour
Bookings: 09821163832

And those interested in the playwriting aspect of things can attend a FREE workshop on 'Myth and Structure' conducted by Ram Ganesh Kamathan at 4 pm at the same venue on both days. For registration, call - 09820356150

Just an SMS going around

The BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket for India) has refused Richard Branson's (of Virgin Airlines fame) offer to sponsor the Indian cricket team. Why?

We can't have VIRGIN written on our shirts, when we're getting f****d in every match

More Cricket posts

What is Italy's national language?

The English speak English, the French speak French, the Germans speak German and the Italians...Well, they didn't quite speak Italian till last week.

My Driver's Driving Me Nuts

(translated from the original Hindi+Punjabi)
...inder: Saab ji, this Indian cricket team is no good. Losing to Sri Lanka is ok but losing to Bangladesh - Chee! Chee! Chee!
Me: Hmmmmm (This is going to be a long night)
...inder: All the oldies should be kicked out. They have fallen in love with AC life, tandoori chicken and starring in cola ads
Me: Ya, right
...inder: The minimum cutoff age should be 23
Me: Why?
...inder: At that age you still have some josh. After that you are useless
Me: Really? (Have I lost my josh already?)
...inder: Saab ji, I bet if you ask Ganguly to run to that traffic signal over there, he won't even reach halfway
Me: Hmmmmm (neither will I)
...inder: Same with me - I drive around all day so I am not fit. Players should be recruited from among youngsters who are healthy and those who don't laze around in sofas and chairs
Me: Hmmmmm (is he referring to me?)
...inder: I have thought a lot about what could be done to save Indian cricket and I'll tell you all
Me: @$#*%!