I was relishing a cup of coffee this morning and thinking about its history, both a personal history and the history of coffee itself. Personally, I disliked coffee. I did not like the smell or taste. Now, having become a good south Indian, I love a cup of good, strong, hot filter coffee.At a more general level, I often wonder how tea, coffee and tobacco entered human lives. What strange human being imagined the result of the complicated process that goes into the making of these things?In a book I read some time ago, The Moneylender's Daughter, there was one amusing section about coffee. In 17th century Holland, one merchant attempted to convince another to invest in coffee. "Coffee? What good is coffee?" the second merchant replied. (I'm paraphrasing, of course.) The first merchant stumbled, trying to explain how it was a drink that was sure to catch the world's fancy. "Rubbish!" … [Read more...]
Expectations
Theory of Knowledge challenges the way we know, and I wanted to show how we see what we expect to see. Of course, these are old, old ideas, but they were fun anyway!I showed my class this picture: "What does it say?" I asked. "Paris in the spring!" "Are you sure?" I asked several students. In a class of over twenty, only one - and eventually one more - disagreed. Then, I asked a student to identify the picture: "Six of hearts!" came a reply. It took just a few seconds for another student to object, but my point of seeing what you expect to see was established! … [Read more...]
Nehru Bal Sangh
One fine day in 1964, a group of fifth class students envisaged a forum where all of them could meet and spread the message of love, brotherhood and harmony to all the corners of the country. Their initiative and drive mixed with their deep commitment to make their country strong, united and prosperous helped lay the foundations of a voluntary non-political organization – Nehru Bal Sangh. It started in a very simple way in New Delhi and has emerged as a national organization with branches in more than sixteen states if the country over the years. It has the blessings of great leaders of India like Shastri, Dr. Zakir Hussain and Smt. Indira Gandhi who helped and guided it during the formative years.Now, almost 50 years after its inception, I was honoured to be part of it as a judge of the dance component of the talent contest for their national integration camp.The national … [Read more...]
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is the kind of book that I could read over and over again.It was written in just a few months and it's less than a hundred pages long.I was revolted and fascinated by it the first time I read it and I'm revolted and fascinated even now as I teach it. What a fabulous book it has to be to evoke a response time and time again! How rich it is, and yet, how simple!When the pigs begin the gentle takeover, I squirm within, but believe how it could happen. I am enthralled (more than a little guiltily) by the very idea of their power. It's frightening how easy it is to manipulate the truth by abusing the language of power. It makes me shiver and shake my head. Succinct and complete - this one is most certainly a classic. … [Read more...]
Chalkline
I recently read Neil Gaiman's views on escapism: I hear the term bandied about as if it's a bad thing. As if "escapist" fiction is a cheap opiate used by the muddled and the foolish and the deluded, and the only fiction that is worthy, for adults or for children, is mimetic fiction, mirroring the worst of the world the reader finds herself in. If you were trapped in an impossible situation, in an unpleasant place, with people who meant you ill, and someone offered you a temporary escape, why wouldn't you take it? And escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control ...And that's the way I feel when I leave a book like Jane Mitchell's Chalkline unfinished. I have nothing against the way it's written. It's powerful, hugely moving and terribly disturbing.And that's just why I could … [Read more...]
Writing in the Genes
Never thought a business magazine would have a picture of me! All thanks to my father, and to the fact that I have writing in my genes! … [Read more...]
Wild Dog Hunt
No one will ever believe that it's not very easy to see wild dogs in the jungle if you spot them three times during the course of the same safari.At first, we saw five. Then we heard wild fowl crying out to one another - alarmed that the dogs were nearby. We then saw another dog. How domestic it looked, standing there, ears cocked. The only thing missing was the wagging tail.And then, returning by the main road, I saw something white being dragged into the jungle, away from the road. That 'something white' was the belly of a spotted deer.Yes, we watched the dogs tearing the deer to pieces and eating it. We heard them whining to the others, calling out to the entire pack to share the meal. We watched the dogs eat violently, aggressively. I was disturbed, yes, but I could watch. I was able to watch and think, "Well, that's the law of the jungle." I was surprised at how they shared … [Read more...]
Tigress
We did see a tigress on our very first safari at Tadoba this time around.When I went to Ranthambhor, as part of a school excursion, we were divided into ten groups. Nine groups saw a tiger. Mine didn't.Then I went to Kanha. Three safaris there - and I didn't see a tiger.Then, Nagarhole. Three safaris there - and I didn't see a tiger.Then, Tadoba. After the first two safaris, when I didn't see a tiger, I had a conversation with my sister. "I don't know why people are so obsessed with tigers, really. Of course, I want to see one too, but the forest itself is so beautiful!" "And every animal is a joy to see!" "And the unpredictability of the jungle is in itself fascinating!" "And the trees, the light ..."And then we saw the tiger.I've seen a tiger in the wild three times. I had tears in my eyes each time.Tyger, tyger burning bright In the forests of the night What immortal … [Read more...]
The All-New Media Page!
I'm delighted to have a brand new page on my website - the media page!From Let's Play! onwards, there have been several articles about my writing and about me. Finally, they come together on the media page of my website!Sakal Times, DNA, The Times of India, Mid-Day ... And hopefully many more to come! … [Read more...]
Back from the Wild – Again
Green forests. Dense.Tall grass. Just a few metres away, a tiger could be hiding and we wouldn't even know. Anticipation is thrilling.Spider webs glinting in the sunshine. A huge black spider poised on her web eats a grasshopper.The black ibis with its red hood and impressive beak pecks away in the grass.Sambhar - first the doe, then the stag - cross the road in front of us. They pause in the middle of the road to look at us. The way we go look at the animals, maybe they thought they'd step out today and look at humans.A yellow oriole flies above us, below the screeching green parakeets.The chestnut-headed bee-eater, flies and lands, flies and lands. In Marathi, they call it a 'crazy parrot' because of its peculiar habit of flying so briefly and perching again, time and time again. It doesn't seem to know what it wants.A crocodile, still as a log, floats in the water.An … [Read more...]