Ponto de Vista

Throwback to four years ago. Google helpfully told me that Istanbul is where Sunanda and I were on this day in 2012. This is the inside of the Yeni Cami at Eminönü … (more…)

Funny stuff in Kreutzberg

Grumpy cat had a message, I was reminded that I cannot wait for the Ab Fab movie, and in dry German fashion, a witty name for a minimalist coffee shop – all in the Kreutzberg area of fun restaurants and a gazillion coffee shops that all smelled good and all seemed full even on a Monday afternoon.

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But, first a nap.

Oh, and all the rooms are named after places, our room is Damão, the Portuguese name for Daman.
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Sigiriya. Monastery turned fortress/palace turned monastery –1,200 stairs of which I did several twice (don’t ask) and I have to wonder, how athletic were the monks and courtiers who did this multiple times a day? Or did they just lower baskets down for their groceries? Then I end up wondering about how they found footholds to paint these beautiful (very non-celibate) pictures on the sheer rock face.

Clockwise from the right:
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#Animals #amazing #compassion #beautiful #dogstarred #blog | February 02, 2016 at 08:02PM”>

“Yes, I’m up. I am. I’m awake. Really.”
I worked really late last night and the kitties patiently kept me company. Tigger in his usual spot, sprawled on my desk, some part of him behind the screen, Zizi napping in my closet. Or so I thought.
When I finished, Tigger struggled to snap out of his snoozey state; he sat up even, but kept falling back asleep.
Meanwhile, Zizi had not been wasting time napping. She had assiduously shredded all the toilet paper in my bathroom. She likes to perch on the toilet seat lid, balancing on her one hind leg and her tail, and use her front paws to shred maniacally.
Looking mega sheepish, the culprit darted away and hid under the sofa, so I didn’t get a photo of her in action. I did laugh as much as I was annoyed with her.
I thought I’d spare you the view of the loo. Let’s just say it looks like a sci fi film set. There is toilet paper in three rooms. I let it be, she can play with it, but the loo is now totally out of bounds to her. Grr.
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I spent an afternoon poking around the sheds with the engineers while researching a story on the Indian Railways’ mandate to switch from the very unsanitary drop-chute toilets we inherited from the British to zero-waste bio-toilets. It was totally fascinating. I was fully enthralled by all the various maintenance sections and tasks — rakes on elevated tracks, being painted, welded, shunted. All very cool.

And everyone at the Central Railways was delightful. I’ve never dealt with a branch of the government so efficient and eager to help. I’ve come away not only equipped with more respect and understanding for what they do (and how uphill a task it is to cater to our great unwashed junta) but also impressed with the engineers and the CPRO. Ask me about my contrasting *other* experience to really get why I’m so floored. 😉

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