Oh Calcutta

Snatches of Calcutta; the Oberoi’s Chauffeur, a Sikh in Sudder St, an explanation of Hijab in the Muslim quarter.

Food Glorious Food

A year on the road exposed us to many delicious dishes in Asia. My own delicious dish, Kristen, has somehow miraculously managed to stay slim and gorgeous while I have taken on a barrel like shape and are preparing myself for several bouts of serious dieting once we get back to Sydney, Here are some […]

The Smiling Pie-Men of Benares meet the simple Sigh-Man of Sydney.

They had a lot to smile about. Their pizza and apple pie were first rate, top notch and just like Mama used to bake. Crunchy thin crusts, fresh toppings, olive oil, caramely honey sweet chunky apple pie in flaky pastry, all within a hundred yards of a burning ghat. After meeting these magnificent pie-men I […]

Cultural Sensitivity ?

Singapore Farewell

Singapore is a great work of art, once a swamp but now a glittering paradisical homage to progress and tradition, a buzzing blend of cultures.

Rudd-anoia

Can erstwhile PM and full time nerd K Rudd be following us ? Is he in deep cover throughout SE Asia on some covert mission for the UN trying to scrape those last few votes together ? Certainly at one stage he seemed to be taking on the physical shape of Gareth-Gareth Evans, Australia’s other […]

Who said Asians talk with their hands #2. Rono holds forth.

Opium, not of, but for the people

The opium trade wasn’t just about “evil” Britishers imposing their terrible and implacable will upon child like and helpless asians. Some Indians were forced to grow opium, others made enormous profits from it. There is nothing childlike about Asian people, particularly the Chinese, or for that matter the Indians. They are, and always have been, […]

Lovely Indian Images

Some wonderful images sent to us from our cousin Rono in Kolkata.

Hinglish Rules !

Hinglish. Perhaps the most evolved of all the variations of our noble mother tongue. Most felicitous and expressive, most bower birdish and elastic, most sweet to the senses, most profound to the reason. You know it makes sense. We know that Shakespeare and Chaucer would have approved. But enough of car now Le jay. What is […]