A friend wrote to me saying that he is feeling ‘fear at all levels’ I had no advice for him. What can I say? But I can say this. Fear is just doing its job of protecting us. Beyond that protection, there’s faith. What fear can’t do, faith can. I don’t necessarily think of this […]
In 2003, my friend and I landed in Beijing on a teaching assignment in the middle of the SARS epidemic. With no real Internet and no smartphones, we arrived innocent, naive, and trusting of the world. We giggled at somber-looking Beijingers with their masks. We wore no masks and took no precautions as we stayed […]
I had just finished watching ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ on the recommendation of Mr. Top Of The Morning. (Thank you, Mr. TOTM! And that’s an amazing movie – a bittersweet blend of satire, drama, and beauty that made me laugh and cry). I was about to switch off the TV before the credits rolled when this quote […]
My family tells me that I was born with a twin. A baby boy. He didn’t live longer than 18 days, and he was never named. During the rare times we spoke about this, my Mom would tease me that it was I who had contributed to the little baby’s death. Apparently, I took most […]
The other day, the Dog Mamma was asking me about my word for 2020. I misread her message and thought she was asking me about 2019. “Busy. That’s my word,” I said. “Ya. I want to be busy, too,” she replied. I was horrified. That’s not what I meant. Not at all. Busy was the […]
“How was 2019 for you?” a good friend asked me. That was when I realized that this year is really coming to an end. I didn’t have an answer to my friend’s question. I hadn’t thought of this year ending. I hadn’t even thought of this year beginning. For some reason, I feel that I […]
Every now and then, I come across moments that shine with irradiance, that mock my cynicism, that glitter with the fragile wings of lost hope, that move me even when I think I have ceased to feel. Saturdays are usually my long run days. I hadn’t gone on a really long run since running the […]
The other day, a friend dropped in from Mumbai and asked if I could meet him the next day. My answer was curt and unlike what I usually respond with. I said, “No. I am busy.” After I sent the message, I sat a while, looking at it. The message looked rather forbidding, casting a […]
It is bitterly cold. The tea stall owner is doing brisk business. I am wearing thick gloves and wrapped up in a long coat, but I can still feel the cold seep in through to my bones. My taxi driver, a smiling Nepali who speaks little English, promises me that he will wait, so I […]