Category Archives: Kerala

Jazz all the way – music concert by Usha Uthup

April 27, 2009 12:59 ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Priya Q

Usha Uthup or didi (elder sister) as she is fondly referred to, was in Cochin (Kochi) city recently, to enthrall the crowd with her contemporary music concert.

Held at JTPac, the concert was the second performance or initiative by the management after the astounding sBesame mucho,how put up by Dr.L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy earlier this month.

What a performance and what a performer! Didi connects with her audience like nobody’s business. Even a bathroom singer feels inspired to sing with her as she encourages all to join her in singing lines from songs like Words, Besame mucho, Kaisi paheli hai ye…etc.., Read more...

Posted in: Art, Music & Dance, Author's muses, Information / Reviews, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: Art, Music & Dance, besame mucho, Cochin, contemporary, copacabana, didi, Dr. L Subramaniam, fever, I love Paris, Jazz, Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Kochi, Mattannur Sankaran Kutti, Usha Uthup

Kottayam

April 12, 2009 10:00 ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Priya Q

Getaway from Kochi to Puzhayoram Health Resort

As I was planning and figuring where to go for a vacation in Kerala; I was reminded of our last trip to Kottayam. Memorable indeed!

With silent Meenachil River serving as background Puzhayoram health resort is a beautiful property located on the Kumaranalloor-Kudamaloor road, 5 km from Kottayam town enroute to Kochi. The resort offers neat 10 luxury air-conditioned cottages and a tree top house with all modern amenities. Btw this is the same Meenachil River you would have read in Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things. Read more...

Posted in: Kerala, Travelogue..My Travel Diary ⋅ Tagged: Arundhati Roy, getaway, God of Small things, Kochi, Kottayam, Kumaranalloor-Kudamaloor road, Meenachil River, Puzhayoram health resort

Rotary Club of Cochin Global & SRVC Foundation brings you…

April 8, 2009 22:29 ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅ Priya Q

With a noble objective in mind, Rotary Club of Cochin Global and Society for Rehabilitation of the visually Challenged (SRVC) have joined hands to set up a full fledged resource center at Vismaya Building, Infopark, Kakkanad. You might ask so what’s so special about it?

Well, the resource center is built around to impart skills to visually challenged and make them self sufficient and job ready. Training in computer skills, communication skills and mobility skills that are taught harnesses talent beyond sight. Hostel facility is available close to the resource centre for students who are taken in batches of 8 to 10. Read more...

Posted in: Information / Reviews, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: Infopark, Kakkanad, project for visually Challenged, resource center, Rotary Club of Cochin Global, Society for Rehabilitation of the visually Challenged, SRVC, Vismaya Building

Kathakali

April 8, 2009 09:59 ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Priya Q

Where to watch Kathakali performance in Kochi?

Kathakali, the classical dance drama is quite popular amongst the tourists and locals in Kochi / Cochin. There are many art centers who organize Kathakali performance on a daily basis. However, it’s important that you go to an established and reputed center. I have a bad experience once. Without taking the name of the center, the dingy auditorium coupled with a Malayalam accented English speaking narrator, I was ready to sleep!
Since, a layman totally depends on the narrator to understand the various gestures and facial expressions of the artist; the role hence played by the storyteller becomes very important. I am giving you here, names of two centers that you can surely go to… Read more...

Posted in: Art, Music & Dance, Information / Reviews, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: art, center, centre, Cochin, Cochin Cultural Centre, dance, Fort Kochi, Greenix art village, Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Kerala, Kochi, Koodiyattam, malayalam, Mohiniattam, Ottanthullal, Theyyam

Dr.L Subramaniam & Kavita Krishnamurthy – the musical duo

April 4, 2009 11:37 ⋅ 2 Comments ⋅ Priya Q

JT Performing Arts Centre (JT Pac) brought the most reputed classical musician and singer to perform for their inaugural show here in Kochi. Dr.L Subramaniam accompanied by his wife and famous singer Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam and Louis Bank performed at the audience filled auditorium. JT Pac is the joint dream of that of entrepreneur Jose Thomas and the famous actor, musician Mohanlal. Read more...

Posted in: Art, Music & Dance, Author's muses, Information / Reviews, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: Ambi Subramaniam, Bindu Subramaniam, Conversation, Dr.L Subramaniam, Gypsy Trail, In pursuit, Jose Thomas, Journey, JT Pac, JT Performing Arts Centre, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Mohanlal, violin

Earth Hour – 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm – 28th March, 2009

March 27, 2009 09:21 ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Priya Q

Aamir Khan doesn’t stay behind in associating himself with social issues and causes. Aamir khan is the Indian face to the Earth Day campaign in India.

Its indeed a pleasure to see people taking seriously The Earth Hour, an annual international event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund). Yesterday I walked in into the Cochin Yacht Club and learnt that they would be joining the campaign for raising the awareness towards climate change and the need for a call to action.The hostel at Choice School, Kochi would also be observing the Earth Hour, during 8:30 to 9:30 pm on 28th March, 2009. Read more...

Posted in: Global Warming, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: aamir khan, campaign, Canara, Choice School, CMS, Cochin, Cochin Yacht Club, Earth Hour, event, Frogg, Google, HP, HSBC, ICICI Bank, Imresario, India, Infosys, Intel, ITC, Kochi, management, NDPL, Nokia, PVR, Radio Mango, Satya Paul, Standard Chartered, tata indicom, Tetra Pak, UNDP, Welcomgroup, WelcomHeritage, Wipro, World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Yes Bank

Travel on a budget (part 2)

March 27, 2009 07:13 ⋅ 2 Comments ⋅ Priya Q

yummy food at Varkala2

yummy food at Varkala1

backwaters!

(This is part 2 of my trip… after we had had great fun at Kumily and Periyar..)

Budget Travel in Kerala – Varkala / Alleppey

Our next destination was Varkala post checking out Alleppey backwaters. There runs a super fast bus from Kumily to Kottayam every 1 hour starting 8 am. Little did we expect that the Rs.70 that we paid for the tickets was inclusive of a roller coaster ride! Living up to its name, this super fast bus reaches Kottayam in 3 hours (1 hour earlier than normal buses). Read more...

Posted in: Kerala, Travelogue..My Travel Diary ⋅ Tagged: Allapuzha, Alleppey, Arabian Sea, ayurveda, ayurvedic, beach, Café Delmar, Cliff Manor beach resort, Kappil Beach, Kodimalla boat jetty, Kottayam, MK Gardens, ocean, Papanasam beach, Sidhi Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre, Sunshine Café, Thiruvambady Beach, Thiruvanathapuram, trivandrum, Varkala

Travel on a budget (Part 1)

March 27, 2009 01:03 ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅ Priya Q

coffee!

raft to cross the periyar lake

Budget travel in Kerala – Kumily / Periyar

Tough budgets? Don’t worry, you can still enjoy to the fullest, of all that Kerala has to offer.

I was in Kochi when I made an impromptu decision to travel with a set budget in mind. Destinations mapped on my itinerary were Kumily, Alleppey and Varkala. Days in hand numbered 5. As the luck would have it, I met 2 tourists on the bus who had a similar travel plan on mind…by the end of the bus trip we had decided to travel together! More the merrier! Read more...

Posted in: Kerala, Travelogue..My Travel Diary ⋅ Tagged: Allapuzha, Alleppey, ayurveda, ayurvedic, backpack, backpacking, backwaters, Café Delmar, Coffee Inn, foundation, God's own country, jungle, Kappil Beach, Kerala, Kochi, Kottayam, Kumily, lama, MK Gardens, Papanasam beach, Periyar, reserve, Sidhi Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre, spice village, spices, Sunshine Café, Thiruvambady Beach, Thiruvanathapuram, tibet, tibetan, tiger, trek, trekking, trivandrum, Varkala, wild life sanctuary

Around the world on a bike

December 21, 2008 00:34 ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Priya Q

Almost all of us have an innate dream to travel the world but ever thought of doing it on bicycle? Sounds bizarre? Well that’s what Philipp and Valeska Schaudy have been upto. This couple who were recently in Kochi have been on roads since the year 2006, is set to cover all continents in 5 years. They have covered in the last 2+ years Europe, SW Asia, Africa, and Australia and are going to be spending some time in India making their way up north before they cycle away to their next destination in Asia. ‘Abnormal’ is how Philipp and Valeska describe themselves on their website www.2-play-on-earth.net. Read more...

Posted in: Author's muses, Global Warming, Information / Reviews, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: arctic, bike, biker, emission free, guide, Kochi, Philipp, Valeska, world tour

Mindi!

August 11, 2008 22:22 ⋅ 4 Comments ⋅ Priya Q

Yup! That’s what you get when a malayalee tries to speak Hindi. I have been a witness to so many hilarious instances; thought would blog about the 2 of my favorite ones.

Take 1
My school friend’s mom (aunty) as a newlywed had to move to the north of India where her husband was posted (having brought up in Kerala, this was her 1st visit to the North). Aunty had barely picked up few words in Hindi when uncle decided to flaunt his wife’s culinary skills to his friends. And in order to impress uncle’s friends, aunty decided to pick up some Hindi which would help her in portraying herself as a cordial host. So here goes…. Read more...

Posted in: Author's muses, Funny, Kerala ⋅ Tagged: hildi, Kerala, malayalam, mallu

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