Tag Archives: travel

Shopping in India: where change must come from within

Posted on November 24, 2012 by subincontinentia

It took me a while to find the right coffee mug. You know, the one that feels right and has handles made for humans over six. Now, which to choose? The teddy bear holding a rose and champagne bottle or … Continue reading →

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Bodhgaya: don’t need a full moon for crazy

Posted on November 22, 2012 by subincontinentia

Even a full moon looks dusty in Bodhgaya. Beneath it’s grubby glow, a group of high-spirited Indian youths hijack a merry-go-round in a fair that’s closed for the night. One of them mounts a plastic baby goat while the others … Continue reading →

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Double-sided drum

Posted on November 21, 2012 by subincontinentia

This morning my bicycle rickshaw passed a goat dressed in a turquoise sweater. “Perfectly natural,” said Alice, “since it is rather chilly.” These days, a damp, bone-chilling fog fills Bodhgaya in the early hours, burns off for a few hours … Continue reading →

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The same son

Posted on November 19, 2012 by subincontinentia

It’s not easy to find out how someone died in India. You invariably receive the most meager explanation. Sometimes simply a body part. “Stomach,” or “Heart” or “Liver.”  So, when I asked Sunil how Rakesh’s father died, he didn’t feel … Continue reading →

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The bucket bath….millions do it, so can you!

Posted on November 7, 2012 by subincontinentia

A LESSON FOR NON-INDIANS IN 20 EASY STEPS. YOU WILL NEED: 1 ten litre plastic bucket at 225 INR (or 300 depending on whether you or your Indian friend buys it) 1 plastic jug at 50 INR (or 100 depending … Continue reading →

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The Delhi police, the CIA, and…me

Posted on November 4, 2012 by subincontinentia

I visualized bodacious diplomats in double-breasted suits shinnying down ropes from black helicopters, flashing their business cards and saying things like, “We’ll take it from here, ma’am.” The knock had the tone of entitlement. So I was only mildly surprised … Continue reading →

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Surrealism in motion

Posted on September 30, 2012 by subincontinentia

I went to find the masseuse that Mee, my guesthouse manager, had recommended. “Her name is Da Da,” said Mee, writing it down like someone used to catering to tourist infants. Well, it was certainly the most surreal massage I’ve … Continue reading →

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Accidental paradise

Posted on September 29, 2012 by subincontinentia

Koh Chang island, Thailand. Tail end of monsoon, September 2012

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Lonely bitch

Posted on September 28, 2012 by subincontinentia

1a. Without companions; lone. b. Characterized by aloneness; solitary. 2. Unfrequented by people; desolate: a lonely crossroads. 3.a. Dejected by the awareness of being alone. b. Producing such dejection. As the ferry chugged away from the mainland, I studied the … Continue reading →

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The man in the catamaran

Posted on July 6, 2012 by subincontinentia

I took this photo in Kerala. Every time I look at it I feel something different about it. Yesterday, when I felt lonely, it was an image of loneliness. At other times, it’s an image of a fisherman quite happily … Continue reading →

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