Mental Excursions

The Sweetest Temptation                                                                                          -By Anupama S Mani Ancient luxury: A 650–750 CE painted Maya vase showing an enthroned ruler being served a frothy, spiced cacao beverage. It is neither my birthday/wedding anniversary on Tuesday, the 7 th of July, nor any religious festival, nor a day marking a nation getting independence, but this is one day of some historic significance that, I am very clear, deserves a grand celebration. It is World Chocolate Day. A day on which one can officially dig one's teeth into this heavenly treat and, for once, silence the tiny nutritionist who lives inside our heads. You are free to ‘taste’ any goodies made from chocolate- candy, bars, sauce, cake, bro...

The Unintended Message                                                                                              -Anupama S Mani After years of announcements, presentations and artist's impressions, this is the closest I have come to seeing a bullet train in Indian Railways. Photo: Hansel Aubert All of us have heard the cliché that a picture speaks a thousand words. The photographs that follow do something more. They tell stories their creators probably never intended to tell. In this relentless summer, that may be as good a reason as any to smile. The only elevator I've seen that honestly advertises its principal function. Built in 1978 on a hotel that opened in 1922, it is no longer in passenger service but still lights up for special occasions—an...

Passport to Performance                                                                                                                                                  - Anupama S Mani I have been made to understand that India is now a world leader. We are the most populous country on earth, our economy is rising and our people are found in every corner of the globe. It is therefore only natural that the world should take a keen interest in our activities. Having already exported our software engineers, doctors and mango laasey ( lassi ), we now seem to be exporting our holiday habits with equal enthusiasm. Indeed, several...

The Moral Burden of Almond Butter I found them while clearing my small pantry. Sitting at the back of the shelf were these two small jars, one with a golden lid, the other with a black one. I remembered one came in a Diwali hamper, the other as a thoughtful gift from someone I had met for the first time and to whom I had in my frequent bouts of unabashed frankness and stupidity, told I ‘love’ almonds. The next time I met her, she leaned forward, her eyes wide with mystery, her voice a mere confidential whisper near my neck, “You must try this, it is not regular almond butter,” and thrust a package into my hand. I came home and opened it. Inside was a 200-gram jar that displayed a price more than my monthly milk bill. I kept it at the back of the shelf and of my memory. It stayed there hibernating, till a few days ago when I was clearing up to prepare for the humid weather.   What must have looked like a spread when packed, now had acquired a different personality. The o...