Nivedita Das Narayan

Long cherished and short... Venturing into Chinatown today was a mixture of deja vu and self admonition. I guess it would've been much less so, if I'd imagined Chinatown in the context of this super-clean, manufactured and manicured Singapore! No offense meant to the city, if at all to my own romantic imagery of Chinatown in the places Kylie Kwong visits or the kind expected since my fascinated watching of the history of Singapore on the History Channel. For lack of better knowledge of the place we asked the cabbie to take us to Chinatown central to see the cab almost pull-over at a super-mall like giant structure. Quickly taking over to explain myself (earlier Anabelle, my help had directed the driver), I elaborated our wish to be taken to the old shopping area, the older part of the town for browsing, seeing the old structures - kind of experience. Quick on the uptake, the cabbie confirmed that that would be Temple Street also adding that there are several such streets and l...

Reviving an old post and wondering how to repeat such a day in this world-class city of S'pore!! More current ruminations to follow this revival - my promise to myself ! Friday, January 5, 2007 So I thought I’ll walk back from the gym today… and I am real glad that my momentary laziness did not overcome the instinct this morning. Before I tell you why… allow me to tell you about Mumbai this Jan (so far) – the coolest I’ve ever felt in the last 5 years, balmy, nice & crisp sun, the festive month having left behind some tantalizing hues & fragrances – colors & lights on the buildings and fences; busy bakeries; brisk business at the local shops, mobile nurseries on the ‘thelas’ – a veritable havoc of colors in winter chrysanthemums and daisies; roads that never cease being bulldozed through & reconstructed. May be it’s always been like this, may be it’s Bandra that manages to manifest all this far more visibly… or is it just Me caring to stop by, far more patiently, pa...