A note from New Delhi Taj Mahal Foxtrot, namesake of the book by the same name by naresh.fernandes Another new year, another bad habit: I’m late, again. Just a few days ago, I was sitting at the back of a Toyota Innova, stuffing my face with mithai and chips — not at the same time [...]
Surprising thoughts on Singapore’s 46th birthday. I spent many years doubting my future as part of this nation, for good reason. I always wanted to leave. I left, but as I returned I found the city’s transformation to my liking.
In the tumultuous year that was 2009, I moved all my life’s possessions around the world several times, and then came home to find my grandfather was going to die. Michael Jackson died. Everybody seemed to, that year.
A year in review 2009 was a year of many things: it was the year of change and death. More so it was the year of change because of death. Many famous people died that year; my grandfather, who was not famous, somehow also did the same. In April I called him from a phone [...]
Beirut Downtown Beirut was swanky. Saifi Village was strange. I had to duck into a hair salon and get my hair cut by a gay man in Ashrafieh to avoid the guy following me on his scooter, and the other guy trying to sell me drugs. All I wanted was a steak. Walking around Beirut, [...]
Last Rites Living in Singapore is not easy, one can quickly see. Could it be that we tire quickly from our programming — the PSLE, the Os, the As, the university, the serving the nation, the feeding your family and all these things? Or is it that we pack the rush hour morning and evening [...]
Let’s just say I don’t do death. I’ve never had to deal with it, never thought about it, possibly because I never had a pet, and never had family or friends who’d passed on or contracted anything major. People lived, in my family, and lived quite long. Especially my grandma and grandpa, who seemed to [...]
I came to the Middle East to do just one thing: see a part of the world that I felt I needed to learn more about. Its language was alien, but familiar – many Malay and Hindi words have roots in Arabic. Its customs and food strange, but not dissimilar – much of the Indian [...]
The start of a few crazy years. IDD calls, Skype chats and what seemed to be endless airplane tickets. I was my telco’s favourite customer. No longer!
A long time ago, in another language… a language I don’t write or speak as a native tongue, so go easy 
Reposting stuff I like from the archives. This is from 2007. At the stroke of eight each morning, I awoke. All my days in India have always had purpose, and it was especially purposeful in Calcutta, my crazy, lovely, chaotic, I hate you I love you Calcutta. This was a luxurious hole in the wall, [...]
Reposting stuff I like from my archives. This is from 2006. Rajasthan, at the peak of summer. There are no tourists around for miles, except the two of us. For a good reason too. Tell any Indian you were in Rajasthan in May, and he is bound to exclaim, “Vhat? It’s… hot!” And when an [...]