Letter from India

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Friday, June 29, 2007

A Day of Bliss

Bliss Waking up in the morning Having a good nights sleep Talking Aloe for a walk The first cup of tea Working from home in casual clothes The mid morning cup of coffee Burning incense Filling a bowl with water for the Buddha statue Placing a flower in it Reading the morning paper The afternoon nap... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Digging to America

From Anne Tyler comes her latest novel Digging to America. I first encountered (?) Tyler when I lived in Washington DC, in the late 70s and early 80s. Browsing in the bookshop, I came across a hardback of Morgan's Passing. I leafed through it and bought it. From beginning to end, I was transported... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Books, coffee and lounging

Two days ago, I spent a rather lovely late morning among books, coffee and a serious lounge. I visited the Oxford bookshop and cafe in Connaught Place, in the heart of Delhi. It's an area which is built in a circle with radial roads set off it, containing office buildings, apartments, shops,... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I am not sure why the book is called A Thousand Splendid Suns. But, it doesn’t matter really. It’s a beautiful story, and been eagerly awaited since the author’s first book The Kite Runner, published in 2003, became a runaway success. Hosseini was born in Afghanistan, and like millions of Afghans... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Thinking about my father

Sunday was Father's Day. My father died 26 years ago. I was living in Washington DC at that time. I came home one day to find a note stuck on my front door 'come up when you are home.' It was was my dear friends and upstairs neighbours, Bonnie and Tim. Attached to it was a telegram from my sister in... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

At the Mercy of Melons

Next to mangoes, melons take their pride of place in the fruit stalls around Delhi these days. Melons come in many shapes and sizes, varieties and colours. There are watermelons, cantaloupes, muskmelons and honeydew melons, to name a few. The watermelon is the largest of them. Its deep green skin... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, June 15, 2007

The Magic of Mangoes

It's mango time. In North ndia, at this time of the year, the markets are full of many kinds of fruits - melons of several varieties, litchis, cheekus, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, and mangoes. Indians like to call mangoes the king of fruits (why not the queen I wonder?) As a child my... Sign in to see full entry.

Heat, Dust and Rain

It's happened. It's finally rained. Since yesterday, the sky has been misty with dust. Winds came up at various times of the day. It's going to rain today, I said to nobody in particular. But, it didn't. Today, I woke up to the same grey sky. The breeze was fresh and smelled cool, like rain. It's... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

The Jasmine Blooms

FoliageGold asked me if a jasmine bud was picked in the morning and put in water, would it bloom by the evening? Not having ever done it, I did not know. However, at her nudging, I picked a bud this morning from the jasmine creeper in the garden and popped it into a jar of water. I peeed at it... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

I first saw and heard him six weeks ago at a book reading at the British Council in Delhi. His name is Mohsin Hamid. He grew up in Lahore, Pakistan and studied at Princeton University and Harvard Law School. When he came on the stage I saw a slight man, with receding hair, glasses and a quiet air.... 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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