Posts by Neena Bhandari

Siblings discover esprit de corps

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 24.05.2012 (Sydney Morning Herald): In a world where social media dominates most teenagers’ waking hours, a high-school brother and sister are discovering the rewards of training as Australian Army Cadets and upholding the values of “courage, initiative and teamwork”.

© Copyright Neena Bhandari. All rights reserved. Republication, copying or using information from neenabhandari.com content is expressly prohibited without the permission of the writer and the media outlet syndicating or publishing the article.

Continue reading

Building a sustainable future

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 28.04.2012 (Sydney Morning Herald): For many, the great Australian dream is still owning a large, freestanding house with a backyard, but more than ever home-owners are conscious of their carbon footprint and the cost of running such a home.

Experts say intelligent design and use of materials can make houses more energy efficient and save hundreds of dollars in rising water and electricity bills.

Simple things such as the orientation of a building, the size and positioning of windows and rooms, level of insulation and better use of building materials are crucial at the design stage to build a sustainable residence, architects say.

Continue reading

Many more cruise liners come calling at Indian ports

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 05.04.2012: In the days when journalists used Olivetti typewriters and bromides to make news pages, merchant navy ships making port calls at Mumbai were a major attraction. The narrow pavements of Colaba and Fort would be dotted with hawkers selling the `imported’ Australian Kraft Cheese, the Italian Ferrero Rocher chocolates, American Lacoste Tshirts and airline socks on wooden boxes transformed into tables for displaying wares.

Today, along with cargo ships, many of the world’s renowned cruise liners regularly make port calls along India’s lengthy coastline. Cruising is fast becoming the choice of Indian travellers to explore the world for its all-inclusive nature, relieving the stress of constant packing and unpacking, checking-in and checking out. On a cruise, one unpacks on day 1 and packs on the last day whether travelling for days, weeks or even months.

Continue reading