July 30, 2010 The Isha Foundation of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India is a yoga center, a retreat, an ashram, a school, a place of worship (in a sense) and an enclave located at the foot of what is considered

July 30, 2010 I rode the train for the first time which, after so many other forms of transportation here and various related incidents, seemed very uneventful.  A friend accompanied me to the railway station and frankly I am

July 22, 2010 I am sure you’re aware of that wearisome adage: ‘Men don’t like to ask for directions.’ Whoever coined that tired phrase never visited India.  Here, directions are sought constantly.  Seek a ride from an auto rickshaw

July 17, 2010 Deeply engaged in a moment, we often forget to take stock of the entire experience, as unique as it might be.  That moment envelopes us in a comfort that makes it seem normal, as if we

July 10, 2010 As I disembarked my auto rickshaw, heading home, I did a double-take when I noticed a man standing beneath a tree engaged in a staring contest with a crow.  Or maybe it was a raven. The

July 10, 2010 Suddenly today I was approached at one of the schools and asked if I could cut my project in scope by a third and reshuffle the two classes into three, thus reducing the amount of time

July 4, 2010 Saturday morning I sat at Ellen Sharma Memorial Matriculation Higher Secondary School waiting for the 6th standard students to arrive for our field trip to Mahabalipuram heritage site.  Students trickled in from about 7:45 am onwards. 

June 25, 2010 At the end of my third class today, a diminutive girl approached me and said, ‘This is sad.” I could barely hear her amongst the crush of students trying to shake my hand and say good-bye,

June 20, 2010 This megapolis, as most of them do, thrives on sound. It is the blood swirling madly and continually through the city’s tangled veins. For me, morning starts with the soft hum of the air conditioner, backed by

June 14, 2010 It’s amazing how quickly one can adjust to small changes.  Light switches mounted in little rows with outlets that you regularly turn off; the morning calls of the various street vendors gathering cardboard or delivering coffee

June 13, 2010 As is true most any time I travel, and certainly when I am doing work in another country, equipment or materials need to be bought.  Money is always being spent on unconsidered items.  As a part

June 8, 2010 I noticed in the local paper that a dance performance was being staged at a local hall.  I asked about finding the hall and the information seemed pretty straightforward; the hall stood not far from a

June 6, 2010 It took a month for me to set up a bank account and yet one banker came to my house at 7 pm to get signatures, a second called to make sure I was being attended

June 2, 2010 I rode a local bus (the ‘a’ is emphasized for a reason to be clear soon).  Doesn’t seem like such a big event, but it was if only in the sense that it saved me money. 

May 25, 2010 Let’s investigate the concept of Hot, shall we? Tropical heat…as the sun bears down on you, light-headedness follows.  You can sense the sun’s tendrils penetrating your scalp and skin, sucking all moisture out of your body.  For