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A full head of hair
The long journey of evolution from ape to man was marked by conspicuous shedding of body hair. Why then did we retain a full head of hair? Was it just chance/ a mere roll of dice/ an evolutionary trade-off which endowed us with our crowning glory? Not so. It so happens that Africa, where we…
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My Two Maids
Its ten minutes past seven, and I’ve glanced at the kitchen clock for the twentieth time. The doorbell chimes. The relief is unimaginable. For the doorbell announces the arrival of the first of my two maids. The maid in the kitchen Manisha is the senior of my two maids, and the kitchen is her…
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What was the name again?
Like many of my previous encounters, this one too happens during my morning ramble. Meet Ramgoat dashalong. What was the name again, I hear you ask. The little plant with its sunny bloom goes by this rather mysterious and unaccountable name; besides its given scientific name of Turnera ulmifolia. Nicknames can be singularly apt and…
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My new glasses
Its that time of the year again. The time to restore my steadily diminishing vision to its once-youthful acuity. Its time for my annual eye check-up and, as night follows day, time to order my new glasses. The computerised eye check-up throws up a new set of numbers every year; and though I linger, hesitate,…
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Acing the Adjective
I am on a mission towards acing the adjective. It all started thus. While not exactly slow, I am not quite first off the mark in the social media race. Therefore by the time I get a look in at the newest photographs on my social media groups, the slots for ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’, and ‘gorgeous’…
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The world from my balcony
The balcony is where my day begins, a time of stillness before the rush of life beckons. There was once a time when the world from my balcony stretched out to the eastern horizon over scattered dwellings and lush fields of corn. I could see the sun rise and follow its journey over the vast…
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A pinch of salt
salt acts in mysterious ways, enhancing and enriching other flavours quite content to play a supporting role..
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Opening Packages
I’ve always been quite deft with my fingers, right from my Girl Guide reef-knotting days, but lately I seem to be all thumbs while opening packages. It must be one of the many challenges of aging nobody tells you about. From bottles and sachets, soap dispensers and AAA batteries, daily life is fraught with packaged…
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Fly Past
Alas, no spectacular flights of supersonic aircraft enter into this saga. Unheralded by buglers and drummers, this fly past is inspired by an encounter with that two-winged six-legged bane of the human race aka the housefly. That a creature as ignoble as a fly should inspire prose will raise eyebrows in many quarters, but I…
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Vegetables on the Menu
Tomato prices have been hovering near the double-century mark for the last few weeks. Inspired, other vegetables have also raised their standards. Amidst these sky-rocketing prices, vegetables have grabbed eyeballs, headlines, and conversations. People are discussing vegetables everywhere, at the bus-stops, in their homes, and over steadily diminishing vegetable portions in their lunchboxes. A meagre…