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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]