I recently heard someone explain her Sunday morning ritual; I had a head bath (= washed my hair), she said. Now how long has it been since I heard that phrase? It made me think of other such phrases, unique to (South) Indian English that I used to hear all around me but make me… Continue reading Have a happy head bath!
Living with fibromyalgia
The December issue of Prevention carries a personal essay – purportedly written by me – on living with fibromyalgia. I say purportedly since (apart from the fact that I think the word has a nice ring to it – go on, say it aloud) it has been mutilated edited beyond recognition as the piece I… Continue reading Living with fibromyalgia
The wonder years
50 years of Doordarshan : an unabashed, nostalgic tribute to the golden years of Doordarshan – published in the November issue of FlyLite, the inflight magazine of Jet Lite. *** It is a late Wednesday evening over three decades ago, in a suburban home in Chennai. The family has had an early dinner and is… Continue reading The wonder years
Bell Bajao! A call to action to end domestic violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here is a piece on the simple but impactful Bell Bajao campaign that I had written for Himal long ago, for International Women’s Day. It is a lazy Sunday morning for the man in his pyjamas, as he sips his tea and reads the newspaper. Tries to read the… Continue reading Bell Bajao! A call to action to end domestic violence
The Gauls must be crazy!
My piece on 50 years of Asterix and the indomitable Gauls (who fear nothing but the sky falling on their heads) appeared in today’s Mid-day. I don’t know what reading Asterix as a child did for you, but it gave me a warped understanding of history. For the longest time, what I knew of world… Continue reading The Gauls must be crazy!
A story in dance
I recently watched a Kathakali recital at the Chembur Fine Arts Society in Mumbai. The performance that evening was based on the story of the wicked king Jarasandha who is supposed to have lived in the time of the Mahabharata. Over a two hour period, the performers enacted a piece called Jarasandha Vadam (the conquest… Continue reading A story in dance
Joy and light!
This Diwali, light a lamp – for someone you love, for a cause you support, for a start to a prayer, for your own joy and peace… Happy Diwali!
Namma Chennai?
I am in Chennai now for a couple of weeks – my dad is going through a bypass surgery tomorrow and should be back home just around Diwali time. My moving to Bangalore, good timing – I have been in and out of Chennai the last few weeks keeping my parents company. Now Bangalore, Chennai… Continue reading Namma Chennai?
The Indian summer?
So filming of The Indian Summer in India has run into hot water. Why is that not surprising? I agree with the censor’s concerns – I think each time Nehru and Edwina come close to each other, the director ought to cut shots of roses dripping with dew being pulled violently together with the help… Continue reading The Indian summer?
On Goonj
Update: the Goonj website is up and running again – there was some problem with it last week when I had posted the note on goonj – do have a look now! I had blogged about Goonj a few years ago in Clothes Line – and I forgot about them till the time I sat… Continue reading On Goonj