Ten years of blogging

Another blog anniversary came and went, and as always, I missed it. This year, the tenth since I started this blog. When my friend Dina Mehta first urged me to begin blogging, I remember thinking, “But what do I have to say? Where will I go for things to write about all the time?” From… Continue reading Ten years of blogging

A hole in the wall, a spark in the mind

I recently wrote a small piece on the controversial ‘Hole in the wall’ project for a UK-based magazine called Green Futures. Controversial, because of endless questions about its relevance in a country where primary education rates are dismal, and sustainability over time and place. And even more so, now that Sugata Mitra has won the… Continue reading A hole in the wall, a spark in the mind

Literally now means figuratively

Merriam-Webster has thrown in the towel and now says the word literally now means virtually or figuratively. So I could say Merriam-Webster has literally thrown in the towel, and not mean that the dictionary suddenly grew a pair of arms, threw a fluffy Turkish towel on the floor and stood dripping. (Image courtesy Michelle Louring)… Continue reading Literally now means figuratively

These images of abused goddesses are not “incredibly powerful”

So, another advertising campaign, another round of outrage on Indian social media. These images of abused goddesses, with the lines: “Pray that we never see this day. Today, more than 68 per cent of women in India are victims of domestic violence. Tomorrow, it seems like no woman shall be spared. Not even the ones… Continue reading These images of abused goddesses are not “incredibly powerful”

Stuff the grammar, enjoy the magic

Once again, after a break of three months, a fresh resolve to keep this blog going. And what easier way than to start by posting an interesting link? Here Stephen Fry takes on grammar Nazis in an utterly delightful talk (and in that, oh so dulcet, accent). “Stephen Fry Takes A Firm Stance On Grammar.… Continue reading Stuff the grammar, enjoy the magic

Clothing for dignity

Anshu Gupta’s journey began in 1992 after a 6-year-old girl in New Delhi told him that she hugged dead bodies through the night to keep her warm. The girl’s father, Habib, and her blind mother, Amina Begum, were municipal workers, in charge of disposing of unclaimed corpses. Habib would receive 20 rupees (about 38 cents)… Continue reading Clothing for dignity

Controversy Calling

My thoughts on the Kochi-Muziris Biennale – some of the reasons it just didn’t work for me – appeared in Tehekla.com on February 18, 2013. Read it online here… *** Although the word is on everyone’s lips in Kochi, most locals are only vaguely aware of the biennale as an event that has created quite… Continue reading Controversy Calling

Firangi filmi bloggers

Beth Watkins calls herself the Foreign Minister of Shashi Pradesh and has taken an oath to share with the world any Shashiliciousness she may come across. This blogger from Illinois is a Shashi Kapoor devotee and writes about him and all things Bollywood on the popular Beth loves Bollywood. She started the blog in 2005… Continue reading Firangi filmi bloggers