In the 1950s, Ralph Ellison wrote a novel called Invisible Man about the existential invisibility of African Americans and how the ‘other half’ simply did not see them. Their stories did not matter because no one acknowledged them as real. Among many other unforgettable lines, were these, “I am invisible, simply because people refuse to see me. You often doubt if you really […]
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Month: April 2011
England says, “I Do.”
Two billion television viewers. A ceremony that was described by historian Simon Michael Schama as a wedding between not just Prince William and Catherine Middleton but the monarchy and the English people. A Sarah Burton dress that was the lace and tulle of modest tradition and the clean silhouette of modernity. Cameras that serenaded the cavernous walls of the Westminster Abbey to the extraordinary […]
Just Between Them..
He : Need a lift? She : Did you see me asking for it? He: You do have to be rude every time don’t you? She: Why do you bother coming back then? He : Has it ever occurred to you that I truly care? She: Has it ever occurred to you that I genuinely don’t? […]
New Home, Old Soul
When you arrive at Chandra and Anal Jain’s home, you walk into a radiant energy field. The couple belong to a certain lost age of refinement, unconditional warmth and hospitality that translates into tall glasses of lemonades, cheese crackers with olives, health advice, life questions, easy but deep conversations that begin sometime in the afternoon […]
The Rebel Princess
We are right back where we were in 1981. Baying for a fairy tale. On April 29, 2011, a future king and his bride will once again play perfect protagonists of a fantasy millions of viewers around the world, haven’t lived. There will probably be a glass carriage or a state landau. Miles of cheers and showers of confetti. A bouquet that everyone […]
The Magical Tatami
Once upon a time, there lived an old farmer Fusao, with his wife Fuyumi, and son Daichi in a small village in Japan. Daichi loved to write. However, he feared he would not be considered as part of the family if he did not keep up with the family occupation and tradition of becoming a […]
Bambaiya VI: Where time stands…
She was the rocks that embraced the oceans. Like lovers holding on to one another. Like rain water holds onto earth and like the earth that holds it back – love evident from the fragrance. She’s bosomed many a love; watched them grow, seen them bloom. And she looks spectacular, like spring the flamboyance of […]
Delhi Beat: The Place To Be
Read MoreUnder The Tuscan Sun
Deep in the heart of rural Tuscany, lies the quaint, medieval town of Siena. Often overlooked because of its imposing neighbour, Florence. Siena is a quintessentially, a Tuscan walled town. The heart of the city is the Piazza del Campo, the main square, where the Sienese used to hold their markets and sporting events in […]
Dreaming In Istanbul
What is it about certain cities that makes you want to come back before you have even left? Some cities barely register as you pass through, clutching your Lonely Planet. Some assault you senses, some make you want to leave as soon as you can and then there are some that leave you slightly breathless, wondering […]
Of Men and God…
There are two kinds of people. Those who believe in Godmen or Godwomen as the case maybe and those who don’t. Like many in India, I have been on both sides of the argument and realised that you cannot argue with faith. It is hard for most of us to live without believing in something or someone. Or in the fact […]
This week in Facebook Land
Remember when hacking was something you did with horses? Remember when you dropped friends or just ‘lost touch’ with them deliberately? Remember when doctors gave you a medicine for a virus? Remember when tagging was something done in a clothing factory?