-
Wash your hands
You are washing your hands, of course, to help stop yourself from falling ill in this time of fearsome viruses. But lots of people (me included) skimp a bit on time. The recommended duration is 20 seconds under the suds. You can sing Happy Birthday or you can elevate the erudition of your timing and…
-
On the Devastating Loss of a Stuffed Friend
I feel slightly sheepish writing this. The grief I feel over losing my friend, Zoupi, pales in comparison to the death of a human friend or a living pet. It seems unfair to even compare them at all. But People and pets die and we sort of accept that is going to happen some day…
-
Gaddi Songs at Ghoomakad
On our last night in Rakkar, we hung out on the balcony at Ghoomakad with friends and made music. When we’d trekked up the mountain a few weeks previously, Foja hummed and whistled a tune that was an earworm. I was really glad that it was played that night with the lyrics explained, too. It’s…
-
Home in Bangalore
I am enjoying life in Bangalore. We’ve been here for three weeks. The traffic is dreadful and the mosquitoes plague me, but this city is full of people I love. Having friends somewhere makes the visit rich and wonderful. We’re staying with Shreyas and Arun. I’m not sure how to appreciate them properly. They are…
-
At Fifth Elephant
Circus at Fifth Elephant. Photos by Saifi This is more of a Spin Matsuri post than one for Mediatinker, but in the interest of keeping my travel journal full, I can tell you about the personal side of attending a tech conference as a circus person. That’s what I call myself these days, when people…
-
Chair Repair
While staying at Shreyas’ place, I made six beautifully hand-crafted but torn cane chairs useable again with painted plywood seats. They aren’t fancy, but you won’t fall through them. I measured the chairs and went to Workbench Projects to use their tools. We carried a sheet of plywood through Bangalore traffic from the nearby supplier…
-
Mysore Weekend
Not content to merely be the best host in Bangalore, Shreyas drove us out to Mysore to see this historic town and meet his good friends. We stopped at Somanathapura to see a beautifully carved 750 year old temple. We ate well and Tod had an especially memorable paper dosa. We went to an art museum…
-
Back in the Kitchen
Ah, what a relief. We have arrived in Bangalore and are staying with Shreyas and Arun. We can cook again! After five weeks on the road without kitchen access or grocery explorations, this is such a treat. Food is a big part of our lives and we love to both cook and eat. Shreyas is…
-
Resetting the Mood
My bad moods can be turned around by drawing on my body. In this case, my crankiness stemmed from a frustrating visit to Pune where absolutely nothing seemed to work out as planned: our accommodation was creepy; the friend we were visiting had to work; the parks I wanted to visit were nonexistent or closed…
-
1AC to Mumbai
The overnight train from Bhuj to Mumbai was like a 16 hour movie. So many scenes out our window. We passed urban junctions full of commuters rushing for the open seating cars, rural pastures full of cows, people living with piles of garbage, derelict buildings crenelated with dish antennas. Once we got to Mumbai, we…
Archives