Fundamatics

Author: Zenobia Driver

  • Birding Beats the (Lockdown) Blues

    Birding Beats the (Lockdown) Blues

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    Illustration by Harshita Bandodkar

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    A Change in Rhythm

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One unexpected consequence of the lockdown in Mumbai was that it forced me to explore every inch of the suburb that I’d lived in for years. A few weeks into the lockdown, evening walks with friends became the preferred mode of social interaction. We discovered quaint cafes and well-maintained parks tucked away in hitherto unnoticed nooks and corners. Devoid of office-goers returning home in their cars, the inner lanes of the suburb were now filled with strollers such as us, and people of all ages on shiny new bicycles – seeking balance, both mental and physical.

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  • Ek Afsana, A Story

    Ek Afsana, A Story

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    Cover Illustration by Amlan Barai

    Imagine setting out on a train journey across India, not across its land-mass but across Time, what would you notice as you looked out the window at the changing landscape during your life-span? If you’re feeling really adventurous, put yourself in someone else’s skin for a bit and picture what they’d see. There are over a billion versions of reality dotting this land, a never-ending raucous multitude of stories eagerly waiting to be noticed. This is one such perspective. (more…)

  • The Fan

    The Fan

    Photograph by Tertia van Rensburg

    No, not that type of fan– the star-obsessed weirdo, the one who tried to attract Jodie Foster’s attention by shooting President Reagan decades ago, or the jilted look-alike trying to destroy his idol in SRK’s 2016 Bollywood release.

    Not the old–fashioned wooden or cane punkha either. Neither the small hand-held ones we used during power-cuts a few years ago nor the majestic ones described in old novels – those that presided over the dinner table at parties and solemnly swayed to and fro when the fan-boy tugged on a rope. (more…)

  • Domestic Pharma Firms Eye the OTC Opportunity

    Domestic Pharma Firms Eye the OTC Opportunity

    Photograph sourced from freestocks.org

    An attractive opportunity develops: About a decade ago, during an evening visit to the neighbourhood garden with her friends, my mother heard about a Vitamin E supplement that improved the quality of one’s skin and hair. One of the elderly ladies in the group had been prescribed the tablet by her doctor. My mother and all the other ladies in that group ended up checking with their doctors and then taking the Vitamin E supplement too. (more…)

  • Never Say “Never Again”

    Never Say “Never Again”

    Photograph by Joanna Kosinska

    After a tepid release of ‘Diamonds are Forever’ in 1971, Sean Connery is reported to have vowed that he would ‘never again’ play ‘that’ role. Yet, in 1983, there he was again, suave and swashbuckling as ever, Agent 007 in the rather cheekily named ‘Never Say Never Again’. Although Sean (may I call him Sean?) took more than a decade to realize the error of his ways, I learned this precept right at the start of my entrepreneurial journey.

    A decade ago, when I was just a tiny cog in the wheels of a large consulting firm, I swore off consulting forever and decided to start a ‘real’ business, manufacturing and selling products. (more…)

  • You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part 3

    You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part 3

    Photograph by Dariusz Sankowski

    In most large companies, we barely know most of our colleagues – we see only the professional side of their personality (if we’re lucky) during the typical work-day. We may learn more about them during office parties and off-sites, sometimes with assistance from ethanol. The process of forming deep friendships (or enmities) usually takes a long time, sometimes many months or even years. Travelling with them is one way to accelerate this process, to its bitter end perhaps? As I’ve mentioned earlier, Mark Twain was no doubt prescient when he noted, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” (more…)

  • You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part II

    You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part II

    Photograph by João Silas

    Last month I offered an illustration of how travel rejuvenates a person, often helping one rediscover a friend’s best qualities. This month’s piece is about travelling with strangers and getting to know them better. (more…)

  • You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part 1

    You Think You Know Them, But You Don’t – Part 1

    Chris Lawton

    I’ve often heard someone casually parrot the cliché ‘travel is a great way to get to know people’ and felt a wee bit uncomfortable about letting a glossy half-truth pass without a murmur of dissent. For I feel that friendships are either strained or strengthened while travelling – not by any dramatic event, but by a succession of small incidents that throw the spotlight on hitherto unnoticed flaws or virtues. (more…)

  • Volunteer No. 1

    About a GBF volunteer who couldn’t resist dropping pearls of wisdom much to the chagrin of others.

    Our SIG was blessed with an eager young student volunteer who not only managed tons of work but also had us in splits every so often with his foot-in-the-mouth comments. On one such occasion, a group of us, of varying vintage, were chatting about the food available on campus.

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