Ponto de Vista

This one is tops in my list of unbelievable kitsch. What you see is a man selling hot coffee, tea, and cocoa from the back of a tempo with a chandelier in it Yes, look again, peer into that interior – it’s a full blown chandelier! I loved it!
This was taken at the Rijksmuseum as I waited in the freezing cold drizzle to buy a ticket around 5pm. I think our well decorated coffee vendor’s sell-rate was close to 100 percent. And which Amsterdammer or tourist wouldn’t want a hot cuppa from a man with such good taste in interior design and a fetchingly homey little ‘coffee shop’ even it’s really the back of a three-wheeler? The warm yellow glow, the aromas – he truly outdid himself, no?

Sometimes I really do think it’s a dog’s life. And then I see the strays shivering in the cold or dripping in the monsoon rain and feel bad for them. I guess Bombay is still kinder to them than other, less temperate parts of our country. This critter lives in the shadow of one of the largest temples in Bombay. But he has it made in the shade. Every time I see him, he’s found a new spot to beat the heat. We’ve never talked, but I suspect he’s a happy little fellow, based on his profoundly mellow expression. I know, first a flirty Batman, now anthropomorphism taken to a fresh height. It’s pathetic

and in Mumbai But not in Amsterdam, even if you’re Batman
This charming mime was on Damrak around the corner from Dam Square where Darth Vader, the Joker, a mummy, and a robot were all posing.
But Batman‘s always been my favorite and he bowed to me ever so courteously, I was charmed.
So I dropped a few cents into his bowl and then we blew kisses at each other. And I walked away smiling. Or not. Maybe that just happened in my head.

I went to Bhopal to report on the 25th anniversary of the Union Carbide/Dow gas leak and found there was so much more to the story than that one night and the inhalation of the poison. There’s stories of shirked corporate responsibility, incredible government oversight and cuckoldry, stories of death, cancer, spontaneous abortions, animals ripping open, respiratory illnesses, ongoing denial, costly treatment, ignorance – and through the rips, hope. The commemorative Bhopal statue was designed by a Dutch lady called Ruth. And it’s symbolic. This replica is in the office of the Chingari Trust. The women of Bhopal really have been key in carrying the struggle forward — to make sure that the world doesn’t let another Bhopal happen.
Even for me – an educated journalist who considers herself abreast with news – it was an eye opener – how the water is still contaminated, how everyone drinks it daily because there are few alternatives, how the children are stunted and sick and dying. I have hours of audio and hundreds of photos to prove it. If you want to see them or listen, email me. I’ll share. Meanwhile, visit www.bhopal.net and www.bhopal.org to raise your voice. And check out the Chingari Trust if you want to contribute something towards the children.

This gem from the old market in Siem Reap, Cambodia. If only I could sell MY rants, too. I have so many – from Delhi’s lack of civic sense to my uncle’s Islamophobia, to the state of our educational systems in India, not to mention the state of radio in India….
Anyway, these are handmade LADY rants Mine aren’t very ladylike, I’ll admit. So for those, you’ll really have to travel to Cambodia.

I know people who make the stars, but I hadn’t thought far enough to the people who make kandils/phanooses This lady was on my way home after a walk and she was painstakingly putting papers on the frames and then decorating them with handmade roses – such works of art!
This is really my favorite time of year. Most building in Mumbai have lights and lanterns in their balconies – several even have color coordinated ones. Coming into the city from the airport, the government colonies look like multistoried fairy tale houses, each block uniformly sporting a different colored kandil: 21 houses with all yellow kandils, the next 21 with all orange, then 21 of red. It’s magical.

Which reminds me, we haven’t strung up our lights yet. How will Lakshmi know where to come if it’s all dark here?

Behind Ta Prom in Angkor Thom, as my fellow travelers meditated on the incredible roots of the trees that have taken over the ancient temple, this fellow came along and perched on me.
I waited for a long time for him to get moving so I could capture how dazzling his iridescent his tiny blue/black wings were – but he flew too fast and in quick bursts which made all the motion pictures totally blurry.
He flew off and came back to perch on my finger three times in total – and I have no idea what made my finger so attractive. But there he was. And I wasn’t complaining about being so favored!

Let me tell you while you figure exactly what that is in the photo, this dish did not look ANYTHING like the descriptors on the menu. And I will confess, after we photographed the gook and worked up the courage to taste it, it was totally divine. So I started to think up disclaimers to add to the menu: “close your eyes when I arrive;” “Disgusting looking, but delicious!” “Always remember: the proof of the pudding is in the tasting!” Which in turn reminded me of the ad campaigns Dudley Moore’s character came up with in “Crazy People“. Did I mention this was dessert? Ok, so here goes: served with salad and chocolate ice cream, this is actually flambéed bananas in a rum-cream. And the quote in the title is from Dudley’s ad about Volvos.

Ah, finally a club where you AND your hazmat can party together.Well, as long as your patrong is not toxicated and you’re not on Megal This is “27” in Ho Chi Minh City, or actually Nua Hang 27. But most clubs, I was told, are just referred to by their address number so voila! 27. Click on the photo for a larger, clearer image of the sign.

My barely planned trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia and then Vietnam was the fulfillment of a long-time goal. Thanks to Mrs. Colaco in 9th grade history, I’ve always wanted to go to Angkor Wat. This was the first temple we visited in the temple city of Angkor Thom. These photos of Bayon feel flat and vacant after witnessing the grandeur up-close. The entire place is atmospheric and heavy with history. And in the monsoon, it’s lush and quiet and green. Aaahhh
Click the photo for a close-up (from a different angle).