Comfortably Numb

TRAVEL: PRAGUE`S WALL OF LOVE AND PROTEST

All you need is love… The John Lennon Wall in Prague is a wall with a storied history In a city filled with stunningly beautiful monuments, a Gothic bridge of much atmospheric antiquity, a languid river, a sprawling Palace complex, the John Lennon Wall is a bit of an anomaly. But there is no doubt…

COMING-OF-AGE STORY BOOKS ‘The Far Field’ review: A postcard in red and gold Sheila Kumar SEPTEMBER 07, 2019 An unexpectedly nuanced look at Kashmir from down south Madhuri Vijay’s first novel is a beautifully nuanced tale in these times of no nuance. The author dunks us deep into the family scrum of the protagonist,…

BOOK REVIEW: SUNDAY HERALD/UPON A SLEEPLESS ISLE by ANDREW FIDEL FERNANDO

Book Review: Upon a Sleepless Isle Sheila Kumar, SEP 08 2019 Sweet and hot sambol As I ate a vegetable-stuffed roti sitting on the rock, an East Asian couple spotted me and became transfixed, in the way safari-goers might upon seeing rare wildlife. At first they viewed and photographed me from a safe distance, wary,…

FEATURE: THE VOICE OF FASHION/THE THORTH TURNS HAUTE!

FABRIC OF INDIA / OPINION The Malayali Towel’s 15 Minutes of Fame by Sheila Kumar 6 Min Read September 5, 2019 Kerala’s ubiquitous, uber-thin towels get an amazing upgrade, much to the bemusement of Malayalis around the world What can I say? It’s like your old blush-pink velour pyjamas are suddenly trending like mad on every…

Brief Takes: Under Something of a Cloud by Dom Moraes

Just finished Under Something of a Cloud, (Speaking Tiger Books), a collection of travel essays from the fluid pen of the late Dom Moraes. These were the words that had me reaching out for my dictionary; some I knew but wanted to check their meaning once again: Appurtenances. Assever. Anfractuous. Enfiladed (by mist). Their hirpling…

BOOK REVIEW: SUNDAY HERALD/RAAVAN by AMISH

Book Review: Raavan, Amish Sheila Kumar, Aug 25 2019 Insidious villain And now, the origin story for Raavan. Unlike in the lacklustre telling of Ram`s story in Ramachandra, Scion of Ishkvaku, and Sita`s tale which, apart from the big reveal, was a pretty straight affair, Amish gives his Raavan enough of an edgy personality so…

FEATURE: METROPLUS: THE BIKER CHICK WHO IS NOT!

MOTORING The happiness of a long-distance biker Sheila Kumar Yoga teacher Sangeetha Jairam rides off into the yonder in her spare time “I’m no biker chick,” Sangeetha Jairam says firmly. “I am more of an adventure-traveller; my motorcycle is something of a companion-teacher, who has taught, and continues to teach me, a lot…

Brief Takes: The Book Ninja by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus

The Book Ninja by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus. Simon and Schuster Books UK. Such a fun read! Okay, so comparisons are odious but think Bridget Jones in Oz. However, a Bridge who`s got her shit together a bit more, is prettier, less scatty but equally wacky, equally witty. And a lot more well-read. This…

FEATURE/SUNDAY MAGAZINE: THE TEATIMES OF CHILDHOOD

Remembrance of teatimes past Looking back at 4 pm food memories It is a truth universally acknowledged, that young persons forced to spend a whole hot and humid month in their `native place,` will be forever restless, forever hungry. Back in the Eighties, our large brood of siblings and cousins were no different when we…

BOOK REVIEW/SUNDAY HERALD: THE COURTESAN, THE MAHATMA AND THE ITALIAN BRAHMIN by MANU S PILLAI

History in sixty takes An absorbing collation of historical tales from across India Manu S Pillai, our desi Dalrymple, gives us another round of Indian history, this time in a collection of essays touching upon one interesting character after another, some well-known, some not, one or two quite obscure. The book is a compilation…