All posts filed under: Personal

Development of local airports the way forward says the Manchester Airports Group

Published by Anita

Now, this piece of news caught my attention. Being a traveler and having been in many airports, and spending time going to and fro, I’m always interested in any developments that might impact travel and travelers. Some of you might remember my airport woes in Brussels last year, where I missed a flight because of 2 airports in the same city and landed up in the wrong one. And you might be wondering why I’m still talking about having more airports in the same area! But the more I think of it, the more it makes sense. And I’ll come to it later. But back to the report. This one pertains to Manchester Airport in the UK which is calling for development of local airports and with good reason. The UK has been, and always will be, an incredibly popular choice for vacations, and while most choose to travel to London, there are still millions of people who travel outside the iconic city every year. In fact, travel outside of London is so popular, the …

Why TRI: 9 fun reasons you should give multi-sport a spin!

Published by Anita

I have an admission to make upfront. I’m not an athlete. Never have been. And possibly never will be. In the real sense. I mean you know the type. On the cover of Runners World magazine; rippling muscles, lean body, long strides. On Bicycling magazine, aero dynamic, serious “I mean business” look, lean, astride well-oiled machines, showing off incredible calves and toned arms. No, I am not that person. But what I lack in athleticism, I make up for in enthusiasm, curiosity and “I want to try everything” attitude! I want to be the best I can be. I don’t want to spend my life wishing I had tried (or “tri’d” for that matter). Wishing I’d done this. Or that. Or basically… wishing! In March this year, I began training with a group to complete my first sprint triathlon on June 28. A sprint is the baby of the group, followed by longer distances like the Olympic, Half-Ironman and the Full-Ironman and other distances in between. While the distances were small, for me it was …

Losing a passport and why travel insurance proved useless

Published by Anita

This post is all about “what happens when you lose a passport” and my personal experience with ICICI Lombard Travel Insurance. Yes. I did the “no 1” thing feared by most travellers. It features probably on the top of things NOT to do when on the road. Lose a passport; your most precious travel document. So how I lost it is not a very glamourous story. It has no masala or intrigue at all. I won’t get into the details. For the record, somewhere on the streets of Malaga (Spain), while on a sightseeing trip (on a cycle), I am quite sure the passport got lost (case of the open bag, carelessness of not closing it properly). But more importantly, what happens when you do happen to lose a passport? While it’s not something you hope will ever happen to you, there’s always a possibility. Having gone through this experience, here’s what I did and I hope will help anyone who lands up in this quandary. My second part details with travel insurance. In my …

Published: “Letter from Bangalore”

Published by Anita

A piece I wrote for the magazine, “Vision – fresh perspectives from Dubai“, published by Touchline, October edition. It’s published quarterly in the English language, and has a print run of 60,000. It features reporting on business, culture and life in the emirate, high profile interviews with influential thought leaders, In-depth special reports and notes from different parts of the world. I did a piece on the cycling in Bangalore (my favourite topic!) and how, despite the lack of roads and infrastructure, enthusiastic Bangaloreans have sparked off a revolution on two wheels. Read the piece here — LETTER FROM BANGALORE.

Why cities shouldn’t have more than one airport

Published by Anita

I rush to the Vueling airlines desk at Brussels airport. Rather breathless. Trying on my best “distressed” look face. Actually, I don’t need to try. I am rather distressed. I have been looking forward to landing in Spain. And it seems the universe colluded. Against me. Earlier this morning, I wake up really early (like 5 am), trying not to disturb the three other sleeping occupants of my hostel room. Got ready in around 20 minutes and snuck out of the room. I double checked with the guy at the desk as to which station would be closest to the airport. The north, he said confidently. So I made my way to Brussels Nord station, towing my luggage along. At the counter I ask for a ticket to the airport. He gives me one and says I’d have to get down at the last stop and take a bus. “The train doesn’t go to the airport.” Sounds fine, I think. He points me to the train and the platform number. I run and make it …

Jane Jacobs themed photo walk in Bangalore on May 4

Published by Anita

Came across this interesting concept called Jane’s Walk, named after Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), an urbanist and activist, whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building. More about the walk: Jane’s Walks are free, locally organized walking tours, in which people get together to explore, talk about and celebrate their neighbourhoods. Where more traditional tours are a bit like walking lectures, a Jane’s Walk is more of a walking conversation. Leaders share their knowledge, but also encourage discussion and participation among the walkers. And who is this walk targeted at? According to the website, “Everyone knows something about where they live. Every perspective is important to building vibrant and healthy cities.” This walk is intended for: — Anyone who enjoys getting to know their city and neighbours. — People who want to participate in meaningful conversations about the social and built future of their neighbourhoods. — People engaged in the work of building cohesive communities and improving the walking environment. — People who want to change their cities and neighbourhoods, for example to narrow …