I never stay up reading. I love books and I enjoy reading, but staying up beyond my bed-time? No, that's not me. I remember when I was reading the fifth Harry Potter, I had one chapter left to finish and I went to sleep, to the horror of some of my friends. Maybe that was because I wanted to hold on to my fictional friends a little longer. Esty's Gold forced me to stay up reading. I read page after page. Just one more chapter. And one more. This chapter was too short to count. So just one more. And I stopped when I finished the book. The characters grew and changed. The story was layered with unselfconscious girlish giggling and the singularly quirky humour. I experienced each of the class struggles and felt the starkness of life in Ireland and Australia. It is difficult to create a character like Esty. In some ways, she is a shadow of Scarlett from Gone with the Wind. Yet, she is … [Read more...]
Tilly’s Moonlight Fox
When I started reading Tilly's Moonlight Fox, I did not quite like it. Both the story and the writing style seemed outdated. The kind of finish that so many new books have was not there. But the book grew on me. It's the kind of book that you should read when you are eight or nine years old, growing up on books like Anne of Green Gables and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. There are no complex twists in the plot. There is nothing that keeps you waiting with bated breath. But it is a charming book nonetheless. The story of a girl who finds it difficult to fit in, Tilly's Moonlight Fox is one that is perhaps easily forgotten, but charms you while you are reading it. Just like a fairy-tale. … [Read more...]
Rainbow!
For so long, for so many years, I've been looking at the sunshine and the rain and thinking, "The sky owes me a rainbow. It is too hot to wear a raincoat, but if I don't wear one, I'll get wet. The sky owes me a rainbow." But I didn't see one. For years. And then, suddenly yesterday, arching its way across the eastern sky, I saw one! As I watched, a small double rainbow emerged. My skin tingled. I watched it until it faded away, wondering how the people in the building far away felt - the ones who were in the rainbow. My heart was full. Somehow, I kept singing, "Will we have rainbows day after day? ... Here's what she said to me: Que sera, sera Whatever will be, will be ..." Happily, I hummed and sang. My day was made. And then, today, I saw one that was even more beautiful! A true, complete rainbow, with all seven identifiable colours, curving its way across the sky! Almost close … [Read more...]
The Lost Island of Tamarind
The first word that comes to mind while reading The Lost Island of Tamarind is 'vivid'. I don't usually like descriptive stories. I feel, "Sure, things around look like that; the weather is like that; the people look like that. Get on with the story!" The Lost Island of Tamarind was not one of those. It was probably the first book I have ever read where my eyes widened at the descriptions. The richness of detail and texture astounded me. I could feel the humidity, see the blue fireflies and hear all the sounds of the jungle. It was fabulous. Sometimes, during the book, I had to close the book just for a few seconds and then peek at the next sentence, dreading what author Nadia Aguiar was going to do next. No, no, that can't be happening! I gasped, held my breath, and felt the characters' fears and doubts. The Lost Island of Tamarind. I am waiting to read the … [Read more...]
Read Something New!
Back to British Library with my next reading workshop! Dates: 17th August, 24th August, 7th September and 14th September Time: 3 pm - 5 pm Age-group: 9-12 Registration fee: Rs. 1,200 for members; Rs. 2,200 for non-members (You get a complimentary Gold 6-month membership free when you register) See you there! … [Read more...]
Monsoon!
I love the rain. It's magical. My mother got three stems of lavender hibiscus from my grandmother and we dumped them in a mug of water. Days passed. Finally, when the leaves were wilted and the twig was mouldy, we felt guilty enough to stick them into a pot of mud. The next day, there were two bright green new leaves. And we have something else coming up, apart from our pink lilies and our spider lilies and our bamboo that thinks it's Jack's beanstalk. Brahmakamal buds! Monsoon makes everything rejoice in being alive! … [Read more...]
Day One: Abhinaya
The day was full of surprises, with just two participants for our workshop. We had questions about whether we should cancel. We decided against it, and perhaps it was a good thing. The workshop was an experience. Things that we had planned could not take place simply because there were not enough people. Yet, it taught us much. I came away with no regrets about having done it, but lots of questions. Tomorrow will be an experience too. With a performance scheduled, it will be strange if there are just two people, and even stranger if there are fewer. Maybe more will show up; maybe not. If nothing else, twenty years of training in Bharatanatyam will stand us in good stead. It helps when dance is flowing through your veins! … [Read more...]
Abhinaya – A Workshop on Indian Classical Dance
This weekend, we bring to you a dance workshop - Abhinaya ... … [Read more...]
Performances and Workshops
Many books on dance talk about how the layman likes quick movements and rhythmic pieces. There is a certain amount of condescension when dancers write about quick eye-movements and complicated-looking footwork because all of that is eye-wash. It is easy showmanship for an uninitiated audience. The true connoisseurs of art, say dancers, are those who realise the beauty of slowness and depth rather than eye-catching speed. In 2012, we had three performances in France - two in Renage, and one in Voiron. After our Renage performances, we asked our friends and members of the audience which pieces they liked so that we could decide on the pieces we would perform at Voiron. And the answers took us by surprise. The favourite pieces, we discovered, were the slower, deeper pieces. Those that explored a rasa like bhakti, devotion. Those that gave full sway to abhinaya. Because abhinaya, whether … [Read more...]
Small Change for Stuart
When crossword puzzles, triplets and magic come together, the combination is a delightful mixture of commonsense, logic and madness. Small Change for Stuart is about a very short boy with slightly crazy parents. The parents do not realise that their short son is going to be traumatised through life because his first initial and surname invite a nickname that he has to live with - S. Horten. Moving to the tiny village of Beeton, Stuart is lost. He has no friends yet because he cannot count the irritating triplets next door called April, May and June. Stuart does, however, have the prospect of a great-uncle who disappeared during the second world war. Stuart follows his great-uncle Tony's treasure-trail and discovers many things. The reader - especially the adult reader - winces at his mistakes and then marvels at his triumphs. Full of puns, wordplay and wry humour, Small Change … [Read more...]
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