From the mustache, a moon cloud

from the mustache a moon cloud, was published in The Seraphic Review, Issue 3. February 2024. I honestly cannot tell where this poem came from. I write in the morning in my notebook and sometimes remnants from the night's dreams will come on the page. I think this came out of that free writing exercise.

Hindustan Times: Beyond Bangalore Startups

How is Bangalore is different from the events that he has organised in Delhi and Mumbai, I ask Raihan Vadra. Well, for one thing, Bangaloreans actually listen, he replies, echoing what Akhila said. In Delhi, young people quickly lose interest in hour-long panel-discussions.

The turtle widow

The turtle widow was published in Lucky Jefferson 365 collection. I think the images come from majestic turtles who hold ancient secrets from within them and the real fear that we all have of falling-- in this case, falling down a waterfall.

When the body becomes all eyes

This is the first poem of mine that got published in October 2023 in Issue 103 of the Rogue Agent Journal.

Hindustan Times: Cheese & Bread in Bangalore

Today, oddly enough, happens to be World Malbec Day, an entirely manufactured celebration, brazenly marketed as a “world” event, when in fact, it was created by Argentina to promote their Malbec grape.  Heck, it worked.

Nagging Instructions

This poem was published in Volume 14 of The Stillwater Review on June 9, 2024.  This is a print journal published by the The Betty June Silconas Poetry Center at Sussex County Community College in New Jersey.

Hindustan Times: AI & Studio Ghibli

This post is about AI copying art from Studio Ghibli and also the season of outdoor concerts in Bangalore-- particularly the Ramaseva Mandali ones in Chamarajpet.

WisdomCircle: Character vs Achievement

No matter what the field, there are three things that all of us need for success: content/talent, attitude, and projection or marketing yourself.

Untouchable

This poem won 3rd Place in the Summer Poetry Winner: Humans of the World. August 23, 2023

Destinasian Magazine: Indian craft chocolate

For Going.com on Kerala

The National Abu Dhabi: on Bhutan

For Mint Lounge India on Bhutan

For Moneycontrol India on Bhutan

Condenast Traveler US: Costa Rica

For Mint Lounge on the Taj Wayanad

For Khaleej Times Dubai on Australian Restaurants

For Mint Lounge India on Australia

Condenast Traveler US: Costa Rica

We were in Monteverde, the second leg of my family's eight-day-trip through Costa Rica. Our itinerary was tight. We would fly into San José, the capital, rent a car, and drive the La Fortuna region where the dormant Arenal volcano loomed over the landscape like a benevolent pyramid. From there it would be onward to Monteverde, one of the last remaining cloud forests in the world. Finally we'd head to Jaco beach, beloved to surfers, before flying ‘home’ to San Francisco.

For Condenast Traveler US on China

I have come to China from my home in Bangalore, India, to find a tai chi teacher. My pursuit of tai chi has been punctuated by such cultural challenges. When I informed my conservative Indian family that I was interested in tai chi, they were appalled. Why was their Indian child, heir to an ancient and proud tradition of yoga leaning toward an alien discipline?

Singapore fling

Staid, chaste, strict, small—Singapore has heard it all. But this island-nation of 4.2 million people has one thing going for it (many things, actually, but we'll get to that later): Singapore is a sure fling. Having lived in Singapore for two years, I have returned wanting to revel in it as a tourist—to see it all and do it all within forty-eight hours.

For Condenast Traveler US on Japan

I have come to Japan to learn about allure. I’ve been married for seventeen years, and while my marriage isn’t falling apart, it is fraying at the edges. So I have come to Japan to learn about feminine allure from its acknowledged masters: the geisha. Geisha were created to pamper men—but they were also the freest women in old Japan.

For Condenast Traveler US on Mumbai

I am going to Bombay to become a movie star. Why not? Every country in the world, if it is lucky, has a city that allows people to create such gauzy fantasies unfettered by the grim shackles of reality. They thrive and inspire, catalyze personal transformations and fuel creativity, not through wide-open spaces but through vibrant congestion.

For Condenast Traveler US on Goa

Once a hippie haven where even India's tightly chaperoned teens could turn on, tune in, and drop out, Goa has lately gone upscale. Living in a trading port for the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans meant that Goans were forced to interact with the outside world far earlier than the average Indian. This has made them friendly but not overly curious about foreigners.

For Condenast Traveler US on Scuba Diving

I don't want to write about this place. Few people know of it; fewer still visit. Perhaps that's the way it should be. In this rapidly shrinking world, there ought to be somewhere that remains remote, even obscure; set apart in space and time; offering the promise of mystery, the romance of discovery. Lakshadweep—the name comes out in a sigh.

For Condenast Traveler US on bargaining

The thought occurred as I eyed a stunning Persian carpet in a downtown Manhattan shop. The Mogul-inspired piece looked terrific but cost thousands more than I wanted to pay. The smile on the manager's face suggested that he was willing to bargain. But where to begin? Middle age brings with it the sobering realization that you can actually learn something from your mother.

For Condenast Traveler US on Cambodia and Laos

Cambodia is like a lotus bud concealing an onion—serene on the surface but eliciting tears as you peel back the layers. The scale of the Angkor temples contrast with the photos of skulls in the Genocide Museum. The peace of a Buddhist monastery gives way to the raucous din of tuk–tuks. I am in Cambodia to meet a monk and to travel the Mekong.