Letter from India

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Eastern Trip

Last week I was in Bihar and Jharkhand again. I travelled from Delhi to Ranchi by air, landed around 2 PM and was met by Jayanto, my colleague, and Rabbani the driver. We set off for Jamshedpur immediately. The drive was greener than last month as there had been a fair amount of rain. We stopped for... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Highway 33: Jamshedup-Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

My six days in Bihar and Jharkhand had ended and it was time to head home. On Saturday morning, my colleague, Jayanto and I set off from Jamshedpur to Ranchi on Highway 33 – which runs the entire stretch of the state of Jharkhand. It was to be a three hour drive, with a 135 kilometre stretch. I had... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The up and downside of Rains

In and around the capital city of Delhi, rain is a mixed blessing. The drains are clogged up (as they are not cleaned) and water backs up -under flyovers, construction sites and in areas where the road dips down. So, water logging is common. This mean cars, buses and people get stuck. Traffic backs... Sign in to see full entry.

And, the rain came

So, it finally rained. The monsoon rains, as they are called, finally came early this morning, while we all slept (at least some of us and I, slept). They are more than two weeks overdue and the rain that came was a whimper compared to the monsoon rains in Delhi I remember, even a few years ago.... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Changes, like it or not

No matter how much we resist change, it happens. The plot next to our home has been vacant for 6 years. Now, a builder is beginning to construct flats. Several months ago he got three large trees chopped down and then, zero activity. In our neighborhood, there is gross violation of laws. It is meant... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Terrace Bird Nest

Two days ago, as I stepped out on to my first floor terrace, I noticed a bird nest in the adenium plant. I peeped in and hello! there were two eggs. I had never seen the inside of a nest - usually they are so high up in the trees. The mother bird hovered around as soon as she spied me. I moved away,... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The Bee Project

No, it’s not mine. It’s my brother-in-law – Jasbir’s. A few years ago we started talking about keeping bees at their home in Shyamkhet in Uttarakhand. At a height on 6500 feet man things are possible, that are not so possible in the plains. One of them is keeping bees. Last year Jasbir located... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Fort Kochi Capers

I have never been to Cochin, a coastal town on the eastern shore of Kerala in India. Now, it is called Kochi. But, as Mahesh and I were going to be in Kerala, I suggested we stop there for a few days before heading home. Kochi has interesting history – with the presence of the Portuguese, Dutch and... Sign in to see full entry.

Kathakali in Kochi, Kerala

The performance starts at 6 and the make up at 5 PM, said Mr. Walton, our home stay host. If you get there at 5.30, it’s good enough, he said. But, we got to the Kathakali Centre at 5.10 and decided to stay (instead of going for tea). I am glad we did, looking back. Mahesh and I were the 6-7th... Sign in to see full entry.

The Kerala Backwater Trip

One of the highlights of the trip to the south of India was a trip to Kochi, a coastal town, in the state of Kerala. Among the many attractove things to do in a trip through the backwaters, as they are called. Mahesh and I were picked up at 8 AM by a driver who knocked on our door at the home stay... 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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