humour
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Somnus and Minerva
We trudged to libraries, books piled high,Dozing under the fluorescent sky.Drool on the pages, bookmarks displaced,Dreams of Kekule danced in haste.But now, oh now, we’ve levelled the game,The library shrunk with a new name.It fits in our palms, sleek and bright,A thousand books in a hand held tight.And yet, some things never quite change,Sleep sneaks… Continue reading
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A shattering saga
Chemistry is all fun and games until the vacuum manifold (also known as “the bomb” in chemistry lab circles) explodes in your face on a quiet Sunday. True incident. I was a research student in Syracuse, minding my own business in the lab on a lazy Sunday morning (yeah, I was a nerd), when the “bomb” went… Continue reading
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Yummy PCM
The autosuggestion feature in gmail sometimes cracks me up. A client had sent me an article on making PCM (phase change materials) from coconut and lemon, and the autosuggested reply was “Yum”. Continue reading
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Six degrees
I, Lakshmi, have a dear friend, M. I have another dear friend, V. And yet another dear friend G. Now, I knew M, V and G through completely different channels in life. A few years back, I realised M and G were good friends, beyond me as a common friend. A couple of days back,… Continue reading
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Indlish
Some words/phrases/English usages are unique to us, English-speaking Indians. You may have heard of “We are like that only.” Here are a few more. I only did that… The use of whether as an interrogative pronoun: e.g. Whether you are coming today ? (instead of “are you coming today?”) – this one, for some reason riles… Continue reading
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A Talk
Last week, I gave an online talk to a small group that discusses spiritual matters. They wanted me to talk about the Narayaneeyam journey, but my Narayaneeyam is linked to my cancer journey. So I spoke of them both. The talk itself lasts from 4:31 to 17:58. What precedes and follows are introduction and discussion,… Continue reading
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The Adventures in Avial Land: The Finale
The Adventures in Avial Land Part 4: The Finale Shopping seemed to be rather an anticlimax to the day, but then, anything is an anticlimax given the experience of a few hours earlier. We live in an era of merchandise. What is good for Star Wars, Avengers and the Beatles is good for Guruvayurappan. The flea… Continue reading
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The Adventures in Avial Land: All in One Tiny Form
The Adventures in Avial Land Part 3: All in One Tiny Form I was being pressed into a diamond at the entrance to the main sanctum. But all that mattered was the sandalwood-covered face that stared back at me from a few meters away. My only thought was, “But You are so tiny.” You might… Continue reading
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The Adventures in Avial Land: Love at First Sight
The Adventures in Avial Land Part 2: Love at First Sight “Pack your umbrella,” Lelitha had nagged me before we had left on our pilgrimage. I had scoured, scrounged, and eventually swiped my daughter’s umbrella since mine resembled a hedgehog after a run-in with a lawnmower. “Bring it back, okay?” my daughter had pleaded, remembering… Continue reading
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The Adventures in Avial Land. The Onward Journey
One early morning, during my first chemo treatment in the hospital, I had a dream. The Boy of Guruvayur stood before me, clad in nothing but a loin cloth, grinning mischievously. Not long after, English verses of the Narayaneeyam started flowing into my mind. I don’t recall exactly why, how, or when they began. Looking… Continue reading
The Burping Bullfrog 