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
Opera for change
Let nobody tell you that opera is boring. Not if it is served in delectable, bite-sized pieces. Consider the worldwide success of Les Misérables, if you don’t believe me. Prior to the film adaptation, it has been the longest running musical in London’s West End. Perhaps, it is more fitting to call it an opera… Continue reading Opera for change
The story of a rape
No, this is not about the infamous Delhi gang-rape that had the nation outraged (and where is all that outrage now?) just a couple of months ago. This is about the recent Steubenville rape of a 16 year old by a couple of “rising football stars” of her school. There are so many things wrong… Continue reading The story of a rape
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