A beautiful dreamer, a mystic who creates dreams out of reality, and a transporter of worlds; all from behind the lens and through those eyes. Magic is real. Photographer Bhumika Bhatia will make you believe it is.

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London-based designer and photographer, Karnatarka, has some nice portraits from India showing the diversity of the country.

If you want a fun night out without glam or attitude, then Hawaiian Shack is the place to be. The music catalogue boasts the trendiest retro hits from the eighties, luring you to sing-a-long at your table or bust out some karaoke upstairs so the entire floor can hear. I thought the little touches of Hawaiian decor were admirable, especially the unassuming boat-shaped bar illuminated by fluorescent blue and green lighting.

I was recently exploring the nightlife culture of India while there for the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. But what I also got to see was the real city. Although the atmosphere is chaotic, it was fascinating to walk the Mumbai streets and meet the locals. Obviously, the first thing to strike your attention is the dire state of homelessness. Some people sleep on the pavement, some on the beach, some where they can; some even in prickled bushes under the bridges or with no clothes on. It makes you wonder what their story is and how they got there.

I would certainly stay at this beautiful 4-star hotel again. Everything was lovely, from the lunch buffets to the massage service and the delicious macarons for deserts. What’s even cooler, however, is that the Gateway offer designated Green-friendly rooms as part of the EARTH initiative.

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History was made on November 27 when 14 countries, six continents, 18,000 people, 50 DJs and 200+ bartenders joined forces for a never-before-seen, omnipresent, one-night only global affair across 10 time zones. And if you weren’t at one of Smirnoff’s ravishing Nightlife Exchange Project parties, then where the bloody hell were you?

I’m delighted to say that I was there. I was exceptionally fortunate to get a taste of Canada’s very chilly after dark scene at the Toronto-themed party hosted by exchanging sister-city Bangalore in India’s south. As a first-time Aussie in India, it was a real treat to learn how local Indians boogied and let their hair down to headlined sets by DJ Sultan, Zara Taylor and Max Graham while enjoying Canada’s famed specialities. Think traditional poutine (hot chips, cheese, gravy) and signature maple syrup-laced vodka concoctions at the ice bars.

Merrymakers around the globe were also partying hard. Brazilians were Aussified with Van She tunes and German techno God Marcus Schultz dropped beats in Cape Town. Peaches and South African famed Gazelle teamed-up with new song material at Berlin, while Zane Lowe played a Miami-inspired set in London. Argentina experienced the best of Dublin pubs. And as for Thailand, they hooked up with belly-dancing Lebanon. Speaking of Thailand, I enjoyed a week of Bangkok hotspots and Mumbai gems in the lead up to the big Smirnoff event, so stay tuned for all the latest trends in my next Lost At E Minor feature video highlighting my foreign adventures.

[London, Buenos Aires and Bangkok pictured below. Also see Sydney's Nightlife Exchange party]

Tata Nano, the world’s cheapest car from India, is going to get a gold make over. Goldplus is celebrating 5,000 years of Indian jewelery by decorating the small wonder. After a design contest, they have shortlisted three designs, and you can vote for your favorite design and ultimately see the winner grace the Indian roads.

Sarvar Singh, an Indian school music teacher, wants to be an example for his students because the idea of taking care of his beard, demands effort and dedication. We believe him. His beard is 6.3 feet long.

Though it’s hot and sticky in Delhi, people were warmly dressed in their woolen clothes when I was there last December. Indian fashion is notoriously bright and colorful. As I discovered, their fuzzy knits are no exception. If you’re a Westerner traveling in India, it’s quite common for men, women, children and even entire families to approach you for a photo. At first, it’s a little awkward, but you get used to it.

Those who prefer to remain incognito will casually (or not so casually) point their camera phones in your direction and snap a few for the family album. I have to admit that I was in awe of the dazzling vests and wished that I had created a Flickr photo set with the evidence. I only managed to nab one unsuspecting yarn lover but he was a minor so he can’t be blamed (plus, he probably doesn’t dress himself). Luckily, our friends Jenne and John were equally impressed and photographed the trend so that we can all enjoy the sweaters in their ‘deliciously awkward’ glory.

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This morning, Stereogum premiered the first slab of lo-fi gutter gospel from Vice Records super group The Almighty Defenders, a meeting of might between Atlanta garage goblins The Black Lips, Berlin-based soul punker King Khan, and Mr. BBQ himself, Mark Sultan. Conceived during the Lips’ Berlin exile (after their VBS documented ejection from India), the band’s self-titled debut is a madcap, liquor-drenched revival, a blissfully fucked up realization of one of garage rock’s most fitting collaborations. Bow Down And Die, the ‘booming, chivalrous third song’, is an off kilter, beer-swilling chant-along that borrows just as much from choral church music as it does from skuzzball rock n roll. We have the single available for free download via the Music Download section of the Lost At E Minor site [psst, it's in the third column]

An egg is the symbol of birth, life and imminent development, and it has been used here as the basis to create a revolutionary Indian office environment. Located in the burgeoning and rapidly changing Mumbai, this egg achieves much with an intelligent water filtration system, a renewable power system of photovoltaic’s and wind turbines, and a health system in the bathrooms to track user’s blood pressure and weight. Designed by James Law Cybertecture International, they claim that the shape is even sustainable as it reduces building surface area, therefore reducing temperature loss-gain. We will see a lot more of this in India.

Multimedia art group Raqs Media Collective create striking installations dealing with their complex relationship to the changes happening in their home country of India. Their categorization based on national identity, however, would make them chafe, as they reject traditional notions of nation state. The main concept scrutinized by the group is modernity itself, and the so-called progress it embodies.

New Delhi-based photographer Anay Mann takes staged portraits of local Indians, in states of transition. His work is both beautiful, yet strangely sad, capturing a sense of otherwordly emptiness that seeps through the stills.

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We’re big fans of the funk-hip hop hybrid that characterises the sound of Brisbane group, Resin Dogs. They’ve been around for twelve years now, so we thought it was time we caught up with Dave Atkins — one half of the group — for a chat as they prepare to enter the studio to lay down tracks for a new album with Britney Spears’ producer. Wait a minute! Britney’s producer? Any chance she’ll pop in for a guest vocal? ‘Who knows what will happen. She does only live down the road. If the opportunity does arise I wouldn’t turn it down. Who knows what could come out of something like that — especially for two cats from Australia. Remember she did have people believing in her from the start and it’s all media hype. We all know by the time it gets to them the real story is long lost’.

With all the distractions around the studio in Malibu, any chance nothing will actually be recorded? ‘No chance at all. We are well prepped for it and have a sack full of new tunes to go and work on. There is no reason at all to waste an opportunity like this. The only distraction for us would be which studio to record in and what gear we use next’.

Tell us more about the new management deal for Resin Dogs in India. Is hip hop catching on over there? ‘The management deal is basically a three year deal we signed, which will see us tour India in October. The vibe is super positive and we have already been presented with two separate contracts: one for licensing and one for a three album recording deal. Hip hop is really taking off over there as it has been every where else in the world. I think the target audience is around 356 million, which is not bad, all things considered’.

Anthony Kurtz recently sent me an update including imagery for his upcoming show at the W Hotel in San Francisco. This new body of work is a collection of photos he took while on a trip in India. At first glance, the art-techie type might think these photos are taken with HDR technology, which I became an instant fan of. Thankfully, though, Anthony reassured me that images like this can still be captured the good old fashioned way: manually.

At two feet and nine inches tall, Aditya ‘Romeo’ Dev is the world’s tiniest bodybuilder. He’s a bit of a celebrity at the gym in his native Punjab, where he pumps custom-built iron. ‘My size has never stopped me’, Dev says. ‘I train with dumbbells and do aerobics and dance. People are always pleased to see me. I have been invited on TV shows and dance on stage’.

With India’s rapid development and urbanization comes some serious environmental challenges such as waste disposal. Composting is a great way for both rural and urban households to minimize garbage while also producing nutrient-rich soil that can be used for household plants and homegrown produce. Daily Dump (an unfortunate but memorable name) offers designer clay composting containers that are a lot more rustic and stylish than the green plastic bins generally available in the West. They also offer several different models for different needs, and provide clear and easy instructions for how to start your own composting pot. If they’re doing this in Bangalore, there’s no reason why people can’t do it in Baltimore.

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