-
Pictorial Ode to Twente
We spent October break in Twente. Pictures featured here include Oldenzaal, where we stopped for lunch, De Lutte, and Enschede. Our stay was at a hotel in De Lutte called Landgoed de Wilmersberg. It is a quaint and cosy property full of old world charm. They have beautiful pathways to either walk or bike. Bikes…
-
Dinner at the Sky Restaurant Pi
We had an unexpectedly delicious dinner at the Sky Restaurant Pi at the Fletcher Hotel. “Unexpectedly” because the decor did not look promising. Additionally, somehow being just off the highway does not spell out – gourmet extravaganza. Even though architecturally it is eye-catching, one does not derive a sense of – “oh this will be…
-
Alicante is a State of Mind
A well-needed break came in the form of a short summer holiday to Alicante. We stayed at the Hotel Sercotel Suites del Mar; a delightful property with both sea and port views. I especially liked the attention the hotel has paid to little details that made our stay comfortable: extra sockets and USB points in…
-
Luscious Fragonard from St. Petersburg
She was leaning on him as if she would fall if he did not support her. Then I noticed his foot on the bottom folds of her carefully pleated white dress. He was persistent. He was a thief; the kiss was stolen, grabbed, plucked. Sahir Ludhianvi’s Abhi Na Jaao Chod Kar gently played in the…
-
Sunny days in Spring
Pictures from a bright sunny day in Amsterdam, spent along the canals, walking and browsing. The pictures below are from the farmer’s market in Hengelo.
-
Hanami: Picnic under the Cherry Blossoms
We had visited the Cherry Blossoms last year, and they left an indelible impression on my mind. So, this year when a dear friend texted to inform me that a picnic was on the cards I jumped at the opportunity. I quote from last year’s post: History is that the trees were a gift from…
-
Lunch at Indian Street Food & Co, Amstelveen
One of the things I have often complained about living in Amsterdam is the glaring lack of street food. As someone who has lived in Asia and the Middle East, the paucity of options on this front has been a constant niggle. This also stood out to me in New York, although it is a…
-
Dustbin Dreams: a short story
Maya was livid. It was that dustbin again. “It is there, on my mind, all the time,” she exclaimed. She had acquired a shrill pitch she gets every time she becomes anxious. One of perils of living in our particular government colony in New Delhi is that you cannot miss the indiscreetly placed dustbin. It…
-
Musing about Success
This week I spoke to two individuals on the topic of success. The first, a mother of two in her late forties, for her the concept of success had much to do with her husband and her children, “ultimately, if our children are settled and are good human beings then my life has been successful.”…
