Letter from India

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Friday, February 20, 2009

Earth's Goodness

I love vegetables. It starts by looking at them. In the photograph below you will see various kinds of vegetables. This is a vegetable stand in the mountains where my sister's house is. But, all over India, you will see stalls like this. It delights my heart. So here, you have a range of vegetables... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Goal Update

Some of you may remember that a month ago I posted that I have a weight goal for this year: 60 at 60. That is 60 kgs (132 lbs) on my 60th birthday - which is in December 2009. Yes, I gave myself a whole year - not just for the weight loss - but to change many things in my life. I went back to the... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Earth Door

I love doors. Especially old ones. This one reminds me of the earth. I took this photograph on my trip to Manali, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh in October 2007. We had stopped overnight in a small and old town, on the way to Manali. Next morning, before we took off, on the road, we took... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Snow in Gagar

When I went to the mountains at the end of January, we expected to see snow. Every year, it snows at this time of the year. However, this time there was no snow. Three years ago, while were were there, we drove to Gagar, about 12 kms from my sister's house in Bhowali/Shyamkhet. There was snow in the... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Calming the Fearful Mind

On Valentine's Day, I went to a book release. It was a book by my spiritual teacher - Thich Nhat Hanh - called Calming the Fearful Mind - A Zen Response to Terrorism. The book is published by a woman who is part of our Snagha (community), a graphic designer, who also happens to design my business... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Tiles, flowers and friends

Yesterday was another tile day – a tile decision making day. I decided to go to a market – in Greater Kailash Part II - which has more upmarket ties and where I bought the tiles when we first built the house. I had asked my sister Saroj to join me if she was free. She called and said she would be... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Excitement in the Backyard

Some of you know that we are finishing the basement in our home - a project almost a year old now. Wel, a progress report. The interior of the basement is almost complete. What remains in the basement is the painting, light fixtures and the floor. The two sliding windows with mesh to keep out the... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The 26 year gap

In 19983, on a visit to Bombay (now called Mumbai) I met Dipa, accidentally. I was living in the US at that time and had come to India for work and pleasure. I was visiting my friend Ardhendu in Bombay and we were at the hotel Sun n Sand for a swim. As we jostled around in the water he said to me,... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Recommending: Slumdog Millionaire

I don't now if you have heard of or seen the film Slumdog Millionaire. It is based in an very large Indian urban settlement in Mumbai - called Dharavi - the largest in Asia. Generally such settlements are called slums. The film is made by a British company and based on a book written by an Indian,... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

A Birthday Gift

February 7 was my very dear friend Agnes' birthday. Agnes and I have known each now since 1980, when we met at the United Nations Second World Conference on Women in Copenhagen, Denmark. Agnes was there to cover the conference for her newspaper. I was part of a team of journalists representing a... Sign in to see full entry.

About this Blog

I started this blog in mid-March 2006 when I moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, for a four-month assignment. In mid-July I moved back to India, and am continuing the blog.

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