In the little primary school in Perani where we worked, money is of course a problem. Going there with students from an international school put things into stark contrast. The base of the four walls of the classroom is painted black. The black area is about three and a half feet high. One of the […]
Seatbelt
During an exchange programme with a school in France, I noticed something I had never noticed before – rickshaws do not have doors! The first time I went in a rickshaw with my French correspondent, my eyes widened. How comfortable would she feel? Would she be afraid of a vehicle like this without doors? I […]
Circus School
Originally, before we left for Chambéry, we were told that we would be taught a bit. We were told we would actually have a real circus lesson. Of course we were excited! Story-books and circus smells ran through my imagination as I thought about it! It was only when we got there that we realised […]
Sunday Times, Indore
Press coverage – even if it’s just two lines – is press coverage!
Performing in Renage
A very dear friend of my sister’s organised a performance for us at a chapel in Renage. That was when we learned what effective publicity is. Michèle, who, I should mention, is in her seventies, did absolutely everything to make people come for our performance. She, helped by two friends, went (literally) from pillar to […]
Oranges
I do not like oranges. I’ll write that again – just to make it very clear. I do not like oranges. In Athens, orange trees grow on either side of the road, utterly unwanted. It is true that juice companies are gradually beginning to market Greek oranges with eye-catching notes on their packs saying ‘Made […]
Can this be true?
In Nigeria, my grandfather was once invited to dinner for some ‘special festival’. Alone and interested, he decided he would go – but someone warned him against it. My grandfather doesn’t know who these people were who warned them. “We heard that you were invited for this function, but please take some sincere advice from […]
Bangalore in a Nutshell
It rained when I didn’t expect it too. It didn’t rain when I did. I read five and a half books. I met a classmate from school. I probably haven’t seen her for a decade and when I saw her, I was utterly disoriented for a few seconds. “Am I really in Bangalore? Really?” I […]
Impure Veg
‘Pure veg’ is such a uniquely Indian concept. I used to mock it. My grandparents are pure veg. (Somehow that sounds odd. A pure veg restaurant is different from pure veg food, which is different from pure veg people. My grandparents are people, not food or restaurants. Just making things clear.) When they went to […]
Adjust
Sometimes, I cannot even believe that the word ‘adjust’ is really an English word. It seems to belong uniquely to the Indian context. Anything can be adjusted. I remember how amused I was when I learned that people even adjust Raahu kaal – the Inauspicious Time. Traditionally during this Inauspicious Time, you can’t do important […]
Buying a Fridge
My sister came to Kolkata and helped me buy a fridge. It was a long and detailed exploration, comparing brands, sizes and prices at various places. We wandered around, visiting shop after shop before we finally decided what would suit me and made the purchase. We spoke to my parents that night, relieved. “What brand did […]
The First Year Away
I remember the time the house got flooded and I put my mattress up on the fridge. I shared a bed with my flatmate, and we watched dead cockroaches, plastic bags and coconut shells floating around us. I remember the time when a thief came to my window in the middle of the night. He […]
Easter in France
The good thing about being a foreigner in a French family is that they do everything to give you the true French experience. My family could not control the weather – it was cold and there was hail that spring – but they did make Easter special! Traditionally, children are sent out into the garden […]
Désirée
Have you read Désirée by Anne-Marie Selinko? I read it when I was in school; I think it was the first really thick book I read.Yes, it came even before Gone with the Wind.I loved it so much that I read it again. And, I think, again.And then, I found an old, old copy of it […]
Manjri Adventure
The bus-driver looked at the traffic piled up on the road ahead. We had to get to school and we were late anyway. The traffic was impossible, so he suggested that we take a detour through Manjri village. That’s when our adventure began. We passed custard-apple orchards and a stud farm. We passed tiny nondescript […]
Travel Records
My sister and I looked around.Things seemed perfect. It was a beautiful morning. It was not raining. Shops were just opening; restaurant-workers were setting their chairs and umbrellas. In the middle of a square, we looked around for the perfect spot.We sat on our haunches and put our arms around each other. People on their […]
Trams in Kolkata
The first time I went to Kolkata, I also went to Darjeeling. I was much younger then, and I was really just visiting my father’s city, the place he grew up. We went in a tram, of course, and in Darjeeling, we took a ride in a toy train. Everyone talks about how picturesque that […]
Vegetarian and Unadventurous
I’ve always tried to be adventurous with food, but to be honest, I am completely unadventurous. I try, I swallow, I sometimes even appreciate. But I also suffer from an overactive imagination. I remember the time a teacher of my sister’s took us for a French meal. She took us to a beautiful, typical, arty […]
Essel World
When I was ten years old, I wrote a story that won me two tickets to Essel World, and 4 tickets to Nehru Planetarium. Going to Mumbai was impossible, so we passed the tickets on to friends in Mumbai. I have no recollection of being upset with it, or in any way deprived. I think […]
The Dahu
Do you know the dahu? What a fascinating creature it is! A friend in Grenoble told me the story. The dahu looks like a deer, you know. A deer with a difference. It has two short legs and two long legs and lives in the mountains of France and Switzerland. The most intriguing thing about […]