Living and Lifestyle

Our House in Freetown

In its own right, Freetown is one of the most fascinating national capitals I have seen so far. It is set amidst forested but rapidly degrading mountains, rising almost abruptly from the North Atlantic Ocean. The city boasts of a sweeping beach, the Lumly Beach,…

Africa

A weekend with Chimps in West Africa

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is located amidst the forested hills of the Freetown peninsula, Sierra Leone. Over the years because of hunting, depletion of their natural habitat and trading, the chimpanzee population of Sierra Leone has dwindled to an alarmingly low level. These wild animals…

Stray Thoughts / Musings

Lao Lalonas / Lao Lovelies

One of the mandatory things that many expatriates do once in Laos is to visit one of the fancier studios, get dressed in the traditional Lao costumes (with all the accessories and accoutrements) and get themselves photographed. True to this expatriate tradition, Nina and Minnie…

The Delightful Daughter

World Citizens

“But Rahman sat in the little Calcutta lane, and saw before him the barren mountains of Afghanistan” – Kabuliwallah I am reminded of the Bengali Movie Kabuliwallah, Hemen Gupta’s poignant albeit delightful cinematization of Tagore’s masterpiece of a short story by the same name. In…

Stray Thoughts / Musings

Tribute to a Teacher

I spent my childhood in the beautiful south Indian State of Kerala. My school was in the picturesque Katari Bagh area in Cochin (now known as Kochi), in the precincts of the sprawling Southern headquarters of the Indian Navy. When I graduated from High School,…

The Delightful Daughter

With Minnie at Rishi Valley School

The Rishi Valley School is widely regarded as being one of the finest boarding schools in India. Out of every 100 applicants every year, approximately 10 get admission making this also the most selective boarding school in India. For us, Minnie’s admission in Grade IV…