A little more Art today, this time in the walled city. One I liked. It was in an old assembly hall just outside the city. There were some very nice cartographic pieces on paper cutouts, a large one of the world of Tipu Sultan’s grandson, and a massive Boschian 2-parter. A few more forgettable ones, […]
Creating a market
I forgot to mention yesterday the ridiculous ad that was played before the film. It was for toilet paper, and clearly a struggle in a society where lotas and hand-held bidets are the default and toilet paper is regarded with some disgust. So they went for toilet paper for drying to avoid humidity around the […]
Animals and robots
This afternoon I went to the cinema with a friend for a matinee showing of Wild Robot. It turned out to be the children’s screen: there was a (now-defunct) ball pit down front, the seats were shaped foam sofas on the floor, and there was a slide running down the side. There were two other […]
Miss Wisk
I’m reading Bleak House these days, feeling that my Dickens knowledge is lacking. I can’t say I’m loving it, but I can respect it and it is certainly very funny. I was surprised to come across Miss Wisk the feminist, and learned of JS Mill’s extreme disapproval of how she’s presented in the book. I […]
Double-bind
It’s the familiar double-bind. On ordinary days, working days, I feel like there is not much to write about, and I want to get off my computer anyway. On interesting days, like the days when I was travelling through Central Asia, there is so much to do and absorb that I can’t stop to write […]
Mighty wind
Last night there was a mighty storm, an andhi that blew dust and tree branches every where and brought the temperature down by several degrees. Something crashed mightily, bringing three of the four people in the dashing out into the cold wind, but it was too dark and windy to see. I suspected, we all […]
Art attack
Today was the first proper day of the Lahore biennale and also Imran Khan’s birthday, so much of the city was in lockdown against a birthday dharna. In the morning (or, correctly, around noon, which is morning in Lahore) I went to one of the galleries which I thought was likely to be accessible but […]
Struck down
Sad news from the village. The grapefruit tree, which gave particularly fine fruit, was struck by lightning. About half has survived, and is being used to graft new trees, but neither they nor what’s left of the original tree are likely bear fruit for some years. A few grapefruit were salvaged, slightly sooty and a […]
Changing times
Went out this afternoon, first to a couple of shops – including a new local athleisure brand which had some nice things and even manufactures locally. I will probably get an exercise top or two, and perhaps a light cotton top to wear under my rain jacket. Then to a cafe which had ok coffee […]
Change of career
Amidst a whirl of social engagements (of which I dropped the final one of exhaustion), one was a rather ceremonial visit from a relative to thank me for helping his son with his application essays. There is a roaring business in education consultancies these days, people taking lakhs to get children into universities abroad by […]