Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
Chennai’s Punjabi Envy and Puns
The best part of this piece was the punny-funny response I got from a friend in Chennai, which I have appended below after taking out all identifying characters. He first sent a handwritten note on the computer, complimenting the piece. To which I replied. Thanks. Love, love, love (and am quite jealous of) your handwritten note. Why can't the iPhone have a stylus? My Chennai friend's response: Alas. Steve Jobs eternal dislike of all things Scully...hence everything that Newton had had to be dropp-ed.....maybe something will get Cook-ed soon? Made my day!! My husband is a great punster, something which [...]
Hunger and Obesity
Okay, this is tongue-in-cheek and I know that small, frequent meals are the best. This began with the question: why are so many people speaking for obesity? Is it because it is a non-controversial cause and the solution is there to see? Then the question arises: can I say something new (and light/funny) about this topic. Ergo, here you go Three lessons from India on shrinking your stomach Shoba Narayan Apr 26, 2013 Save this article Hunger and appetite are huge, resonant words. They have much more of an emotional pull, compared to other words that describe sensations: smell, touch, [...]
Connecting the Dots
My friends have been goading me to do something that I keep talking about doing. A podcast. I'd like to do a weekly one called "Connecting the Dots," which takes current news items and puts a unique spin on it. I tried telling Mint to let me do podcasts but that hasn't gone anywhere. So here is a rudimentary version, sans technology or help from sound/garageband. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/89172808" params="color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
For Vogue India on War Tourism
"Make Peace not War," raps Skepta. What is war tourism then? And can it mix with Louboutins and Chanel?
Sitar Music
This piece touched me. What a life! What culture! What folly! Wish I had met Annapurna Devi-- she carries the perfumes of an entire musical era with her. Annapurna Devi & Ravi Shankar: The tragedy of a relationship December 12, 2012 In August 2000, Ravi Shankar’s first wife, the reclusive surbahar virtuoso Annapurna Devi, gave Man’s World a rare interview in which she spoke about her torturous marriage and the tragic life of their son Shubho. The interview was a bit bizarre. She invited the writer Aalif Surti to her house, allowed him to wander around, but refused to meet [...]
Chennai’s Love for Gold for Mint Lounge
Sat, Apr 13 2013. 12 08 AM IST Chennai’s love for cheesy ‘compliments’ From the Great Chennai Paradox to the American ‘throw ins’—why this love for useless freebies? Chennai shoppers buy a lot of gold, but a freebie makes them smile. Photo: McKay Savage/Wikimedia Commons The lady wants a “compliment”. Nay, she insists on it. She has, after all, spent a few million rupees buying gold jewels at Malabar Gold. “Why no compliment?” she asks. The salesman pulls out a logo-ed plastic bag. “Of course, I will give you a compliment, Mother,” he says. “If not for you, who [...]
Women Talking
I had wondered and worried about how this would turn out. It actually turned out to be quite wonderful. Five women talking here
Comments
Since the comments have been the most interesting part of this blog, I have added a widget on the side in the front page. If you scroll down you will see it. Any comment that I find interesting will be used for future pieces-- with proper attribution of course. Fair warning.
Swedish House Mafia
Need to write a piece about Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and such. All the young teenagers I know listen to this stuff and dance the night away. Energy is a room full of teenagers jiving to "Don't you worry, child," by SHM. Loud, pumping music. Darkness. Youth. Dance. Ahhhh!! Bliss.
Memoir vs. autobiography
Lovely explanation by Dani Shapiro here.