One message that made a mark on me in childhood was an Amar Chitra Katha panel of Buddha saying “All desires bring pain” – a statement I have reflected on extensively (probably even excessively) of late. I studied Economics for school certificate exams from the University of London and again…
“Help me,” those big, innocent, liquid eyes had emoted, welling with tears. Unable to articulate in words but implicitly trusting you, the adult, to alleviate the pain. And you have no idea of what is going on – nothing hurts more. “It is unbearable, amma. Will it not just stop…
I recently applied for a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card. A mere six days later, my PAN had been issued and was ready to go. Fast by any standards. Issued by the Indian government, the PAN’s main purpose is to identify each tax payer uniquely. The card is also accepted…
In my erstwhile home for a short sojourn, I enjoyed getting together with old friends. Recently, one mentioned to another how the previous time they had met was the last time I had visited. It set me thinking. The temporariness of a short visit often helps to make and concentrate…
I was first addressed as mami by an elderly waiter at a restaurant in Mahabalipuram, two days after my marriage. I remember looking behind and around myself then, to find who the addressee was! Until I realised it was I. 🙂 I was tickled pink at my new promotion! It made my…
“The waning days of our lives are given over to treatments that addle our brains and sap our bodies for a sliver’s chance of benefit” – Atul Gawande. How true. It is sad that most are not able to accept that leaving things as they are, sometimes, is the best…
Live in the present is one oft-heard adage while prepare for a rainy day is yet another. Living in the past, however, is never recommended – in fact, it is mostly dissuaded. Events leading up from last month to today, however, have reinforced in me the fact that many of…
‘Housewife’ is a dirty word. God forbid you utter it to the inevitable “What do you do?” and one either gets a bemused look or an embarrassed shrug of the shoulders accompanied by a turning away to greener, more employed pastures. This happens all the time. A few years ago,…
I spent the first eight and a half years of my life in large homes. My family then moved, for two and a half years, to a small apartment in Madras, where a minimum of seven shared a single shower, sink and toilet. Then, we moved, once more to spacious…
Many commercially packed items in India come with expiry (or best before) dates these days which many of us look for assiduously. However, for some products, these dates don’t hold water at all. Many dry food (grains, lentils, flours, snacks, spices) packages look inflated – in fact, if you press…