Posts

A Place for Everything

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That is New York. Word...No Doubt.. as Riley Escobar would say.

Harlem Homegirls

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On Mother's Day, Saadia, who I bonded with on the basis of same taste in clothes and similar shopping mania, Tulin - Maria's Turkish friend who is a famous style consultant in Istanbul and has columns with glam pics alongside and also features on Turkish Page 3s - Nur (Tulin's aristocratic aunt) and I went to Harlem for a gospel brunch in Harlem. But since the sound engineer had an accident or something, we barely got to hear any gospel! We had to be content with southern fried chicken. A little mimosa drinking made the lack of music bearable. When the sound engineer arrived he did not look like he'd been in an accident so we gave him beady looks but he kept acting busy and ignored our collective glares. So we had to be content with Tulin's fantastic eyelid and hair trick in the entertainment department. Later we walked around Harlem, and took in the sights. I must say I generally agreed with the Harlem Point of View as expressed by Puppy.(please check out legend u

Delicious Things in Toronto

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Went to see my friends Krishna and Gisele in Toronto mid-May. It must be the first time in a decade or more that I went somewhere to simply meet my friends. Of late life has always taken me to a place where there were friends, but the reason for being there was always work. It must be that way for most people now - because folks kept asking what had brought me to Toronto and they'd always be a bit surprised that it was just to see friend. It's a liberating thing to just be seeing friends. And so nice to see them in their homes, to see how the colour of a wall has changed, go with them to their favourite shop or Chinese restaurant, just be part of that texture and know them more fully as them, not only in relation to yourself. And a lovely thing to know you've known each other for years - Krishna and I became friends when I used to work for Anand so that's really prehistoric times: 15 years now, and Gisele and I have been friends for over 10. Clancy, Gisele's cat was

Dancing Rose

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My friends Maria and David have adopted the most sunny tempered, lovely girl called Rose. She's a feisty little thing, talking talking talking walking walking walking carrying a purse, pushing a stroller, wearing her "we're not in Kansas anymore" glittering red shoes, or her payals from the Indian masi, insisting that her brother John's turn on the TV - "it's a-over". She's figured out how to change stations on the radio and dance little lady dance. Irresistable... Meanwhile John has his own trick even when he's not wearing his Superman costume - staring at the TV without blinking even once, I am sure of it. Rose, as Supergirl is an avid apprentice of her big brother though and getting their fast.

Import-Export

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TALAT'S LOBSTER AT FANCY RESTAURANT IN NEW JERSEY WHICH USED TO BE AN OLD CHURCH (THE RESTAURANT NOT THE LOBSTER) CRUDO (KIND OF LIKE ITALIAN SUSHI) AT "ESCA" American dinners, lead to American loos.

Being Maasi

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For the first time, I got to spend a while and get to know Rohan and Ruhi, my cousin Supriya's kids. It's very nice to be the visiting Maasi who is good at something (in this case figuring out iPods - although how can a 6 year old have an iPod?!!). Rohan was deeply concerned at all times that the CD would get erased if I transfered the tracks to the computer. After allaying these concerns, and syncing his iPod to the library I was rewarded by the shiniest little boy eyes, that look of unadulterated delight which eclipsed my reservations about kids having too much stuff nowadays. He sat listening to the music so intently and if he came to a song he didn't know he'd spring up and say - Maasi, there are some not expected songs in here! On being told I was a filmmaker he began mugging like crazy and at one point shyly admitted to me - "I want to be a movie actor when I grow up". Later that night he and Ruhi prepared a little performance for us. Since they go to a

chinese fairy

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Went looking for a washer for Jabeen's espresso maker in Little Italy and walked into a much diminished feast of St Anthony. In the years since I stayed in those parts, house sitting for someone on Elizabeth street, Little Italy's been squeezed by designer Soho on one end and Chinatown on the other, until it seems to be two token streets, a concentrated tourism macchiato. Now, except for the little bit around Mulberry Street, it's all ruled by the Chinese fairy.