Like a Boss

It's about time you got out of those pajamas and slipped into something more office appropriate. Straighten that tie and follow us to where all the entrepreneurs in town will be discussing The Next Big Idea, with the friendly folk at Skillhippo and 91Springboard. 

Primarily designed as a platform for outreach, the conference will accommodate 70 candidates. We were told that the  event is designed to address among other things, including the psychological and practical barriers to being an entrepreneur. With agendas like decoding what it takes to be an entrepreneur, co-founder dynamics, finding your brand's voice in the cluttered social media environment, the scope for a social entrepreneur, and the big one -  how to woo the investors - this will be a crash course on how to be the CEO of You. Raghuveer Malik from Skillhippo especially recommends a Brand Identity talk with Shubho Sengupta.

Flying Solo

Registrations are open and running at an early bird discount until March 15. We recommend the Irfan Alam session, where he brings insights from his work at the Samman Foundation, a company which organizes the Indian rickshaw pulling and manufacturing sector. Raghuveer also tells us that this might be a great opportunity to meet angel investors and erstwhile mentors to entrepreneurs. We've also heard urgent whispering about free beers. Great ideas think alike!

Getting there: Register online for the event. April 13, 2.30pm, B1/H3, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate, Mathura Road

What: Sunset walk with Skilled Samaritan, Rs 1500 per person, meets at Badarpur Metro Station, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to sign up. 

Why: This foundation has been leading walks through the little village of Sirohi—40 kilometres from Delhi—for a while, with most proceeds going to bettering the village. This particular walk takes you through a stone quarry with sunken lakes to the top of a hill, where the Kot temple offers a birds-eye view of the Aravalli hills. Follow the trek up with a home cooked meal in the village as well as a tempo ride home. The foundation is also commissioning and selling cool charpoys, the strings made of trash plastic material, crafted by the villagers in any colour you’d like. Diwan-i-khas!

When: Sunday, March 10, 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

What: Turn tricks with magician Ishamuddin at May Day Bookstore and Cafe. Registration details to be shared on their Facebook page next week, free.

Why: Ishamuddin—famous for the Indian rope trick - is proficient also in traditional magic, snake charming, juggling and acrobatics. And he is willing to share his best tricks with you – wand to give it a shot? Along with attending the workshop, you can also watch a documentary on magic and raid the May Day café for refreshments.

When: Make your heart (st)healthier on March 24.

March 8: The Winter's Tale,Zorba,MG Road, call 882672170 for passes, 7pm

March 8: Faithfully Yours, Academy of Fine Arts & Literature, Siri Fort Institutional Area, 11am

March 8: Citibank's Chef's Table, Olive, Mehrauli, call 29574444,Rs 2500 per person,8pm

March 9: Romanticists, Alliance Francaise,Lodhi Road, call 43500228,11am

March 9: Bar Boys,LTGA,Mandi House, call 23389713, Rs 150 entry,7.30pm.

March 9:Jug Jug Jiyo,Stein Auditorium,Lodhi Road,call 43663080,Rs 100 per person,7pm

March 9: Hari & Sukhmani Live, Fio,Saidulajab,call 29536309,9pm

March 9: PUMA Loves Vinyl,Zorba,MG Road,call 26801251,7pm

March 10: That's What She Said, Epicentre, Sector 44, Gurgaon, call 2715100, Rs 150 entry,7pm

March 10: Do you really love me? Shri Ram Centre For Art and Culture, Connaught Place,call 23714307,Rs 100 per person,7pm

The Starks were wrong, winter is no longer coming. Amen. While we do believe that a bookworm knows no season, we admit that we're happier to wiggle our toes in the sun as we bury ourselves in a book. You see, there is something idyllic about sitting outside turning both pages as well as a shade of beautiful, berry brown. Penguin India has the same idea.

Making Hay (fever) While The Sun Shines

Held from March 15 to 24 at the India Habitat Centre, ampitheatre, their annual literature festival is a chance to listen to your favourite authors, buy some books and browse through an open air library.

We hear that this year's lineup is looking pretty stellar. Vikram Seth—who was marvellous last year is making a repeat appearance—and will be releasing an illustrated version of one of our favourite childhood books Beastly Tales from Here and There, More for the kid in you? Veteran awesome kid’s author, Ruskin Bond will be in conversation with Sudha Murthy. Then there’s Mira Nair talking about her journey in film-making and storywriting, Gulzar reading from his new collection of stories, while Monish Gujral (of the Moti Mahal fame) and Masterchef Vikas Khanna will be in conversation with Sourish Bhattacharya.

Sweeter still is the fact that all Penguin books on sale will be at 10 % off! There will be  food stalls and musical peformances. We're told we should expect a jazz and blues night and perhaps some qawalli. See you there!

Getting There: Invite by registration only. Check the Facebook page for registration to open, or register at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

What: Hot air ballooning, as part of The Great Adventure Fest, Haryana Police RTC, Bhondsi and Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon. Rs 4,500 per ticket, buy tickets here.

Why: Don't let her be the one that got away. Pull out all the cheesy stops and take her on a hot air balloon ride. Both free flight and tethered (for the faint hearted) options available. With each balloon carrying three to four passengers, we suspect this could be a rad singles party venue as well. Got your attention? The Great Adventure Fest also offers other attractions like para-sailing, powered paragliding, paint balling, adventure walls, rocket ejectors, archery, and quad biking to name a phew.

When: Hope floats on March 23, 6 am.

One of our favourite Ansel Adams book is now a worn out, yellowing copy. It has seen a long history of furtive thumbing, only to find these lines, and whisper to ourselves- “ You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard the people you have loved.” 

Flash Backs

CityAsADarkRoom is a photography workshop that encourages participants to literally get their hands dirty. Rudra Rakshit Sharan, a Bangalore based photographer is nostalgic about the imminent lack of 'creation' in a photograph. This digital age does not allow you to have conversations with an image as you develop it, he complains. 

Workshop participants will be taken around Delhi starting from Jan Natya Manch, seeking out spaces which might act as dark rooms - even  a toilet in a dimly lit cafe might work. Loo before you leap? All materials, film roll, paper, printing solutions and equipment will be provided. Participants will be, however, encouraged to carry their own cameras, but a spare set or two will be available for those falling short. Plus - exciting for monochrome-philes - images will be developed in black and white.

With only 10 seats left, the workshop aims to reveal the process of falling in love with your art slowly as you develop it, says to Rudra. So you mean no Instagram, really?

Getting There: Call 9980007154 to register. Rs 4,000 for the 4 day workshop. On March 2, 3, 9 and 10.

February 22: Popsicles, DLF Emporio, Vasant Kunj, call 46116666, 7pm.

February 22: Splurge- The shopping fiesta, Sheraton, Saket, New Delhi, call 42661122, 11am.

February 22: Club Burlesque,The Dirty Martini,Olive,Mehrauli,call 8120394294,9pm.

February 22: World Percussion Festival,Siri Fort Auditorium, August Kranti Marg,call 26499397,6.30pm

February 23: Kasturba Panda ki Pantie, Akshara Theatre, CP, call 9810915002 to tele-book, 8pm.

February 23: Antardhvani 2013- a multi-dimensional festival,Stadium Complex, University of Delhi, 10am

February 23: The French Film Festival,PVR Anupam,Saket, view schedule here , 3pm

February 23: Seven, A performance reading, Radisson Blu Plaza, NH 8Entry on registration, call 9873853348.

February 24: Fun with Jenga Blocks- story teling, Lodi Gardens, Khan Market,call 9717718269

February 24: The Polished Bottoms- Stand up comedy, India Habitat Centre,Lodhi Road, call 246820001, Rs 250 per person, 7pm

What: William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, a “peculiar production” by The Tadpole Repertory and Wide Aisle Productions, Zorba, MG Road. For tickets call Chanakya, 8826721770.

Why: Not your ordinary production, this Shakespeare adaptation involves choreography, acrobatics, and staging the play as a promenade performance. The audience moves between locations set up in the outdoor space at Zorba. We're on b(o)ard for this one.

When: “A sad tale's best for winter”. March 1-3.

February 15: Soul of Japan, shamisen and folksong, Epicentre, Sector 44, Gurgaon, call 0124-2715000, entry free.

February 15: Jashn-E-Khusrau, various venues, view schedule here, entry free.

February 15: My Sassy Girl film screening, Korean Cultural Centre, A25, Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar 4, call 43345000, 6.30 pm.

February 16: Walk through the Sanskriti Museum of Indian textiles, Sanskriti Kendra, Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, 11 am to 2 pm, entry by registration, call 64675041.

February 16: Jazz A Go Go with Drift and Flash Hardcore, Downstairs at Zo, 1 HKV, 8.30 pm, call 9911185007, entry free.

February 16: Mehdi Hassan Ki Yaad Mein, ghazal evening by Ustad Moin Khan, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, 7 pm, call 436633333, entry free.

February 16: DJ Akbar Sami and DJ Chetak, Lemp Brewpub, DLF Star Mall, Sector 30, Gurgaon, 9 pm, Rs 1000 entry.

February 17: Do You Really Love Me, two one-act plays, Shri Ram Centre, 4 Safdar Hashmi Marg, 7 pm, Rs 250 for a ticket.

February 17: Rooh featuring Dhruv Sangari, Blue Frog, Mehrauli, 9.30 pm, Rs 350 for a ticket.

February 17: Cowboy Karaoke Night, Rodeo, Shop No. 12, A Block, Inner Circle, Connaught Place, call 23713780, 9 pm.