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Student Economy
My daughter, who’s in Chennai on vacation, went to the beach with a friend yesterday. A woman approached them asking for alms. The kids, being kind souls, gave her some money. Via UPI. I distinctly remember joking not too long ago that one day even beggars would go digital in India. Apparently, the future has… Continue reading
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The Curious Case of Being Busy and Getting Nothing Done
Typical of me. I make a grand announcement that I am back, and then promptly disappear without a trace. To be fair, I did not exactly go anywhere (except for a brief 2 day vacation – later). I have been right here all along, staring at my to-do list, wondering whether a day really has… Continue reading
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I am fine
That may be the most important thing to say at the outset. It’s been some time since I posted here. Long enough that I’d forgotten the password to this site, in fact. Getting back in involved a series of increasingly desperate maneuvers and digital calisthenics involving recovering defunct email id that was originally used to… Continue reading
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Yellow Salwar
My dearest friend M recently gifted me a gorgeous salwar material. I got it stitched and wore it today. I glowed like a walking, talking turmeric latte. And then I remembered. The one I am wearing now is exactly like my first salwar. First as in: first that I bought for myself. In school, we… Continue reading
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Boundless, or: A rengay: The Skeptic’s Kaddish
Thank you David, that was a fun and thoughtprovoking rengay. Continue reading
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The Wriggle Dance of the Divine Child
After completing the Narayaneeyam, which I can only describe as a miracle in my life, I felt drawn to continue this journey of devotion through poetry. What began as a personal spiritual discipline slowly grew into an attempt to render sacred Tamil texts into English verse. It is both an offering and a learning process… Continue reading
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The Dig by Sowmiya Ashok
The 12th-century poetess Avvaiyar* (different from her earlier Sangam-era and Bhakti-era namesakes), famously observed, “கற்றது கைமண் அளவு, கல்லாதது உலகளவு”: what we know is but a fistful; what we do not know spans the world#. Never has the weight of that truth felt as overwhelming as while reading The Dig by Sowmiya Ashok. For anyone interested in the history… Continue reading
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Small Desire, Long Wait
I grew up in a marginally lower middle-class family. Which is to say, we never lacked essentials, but many things were firmly filed under luxury. My cousins grew up in a similar family too, maybe just a notch higher. Or at least, that’s how it felt to me as a child. And I had evidence. I… Continue reading
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New Year Blah
My best friend asked me what my plans were for the new year. I thought long and hard and said, with great clarity and zero drama: “Staying alive.” Then I read a very funny post by Barb about her resolutions intentions and that word felt kinder. Less demanding. Less likely to glare at me from January… Continue reading
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Glorious 22
Twenty-two years ago, at about now, a screaming banshee was plucked out of my innards. In that moment, time split into a before and an after, and it shall always be so. Today, that 22-year old is a living, breathing constellation of everything possible and more. Enthusiasm that fills a room before she does. Thrill… Continue reading
