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A Film Buff in Madurai

LION OF THE DESERT, Anthony Quinn as Omar Mukhtar (holding child), 1981, © United Film Distribution We had reached the theater late that day. A temple procession on the main road made it impossible for our scooter to pass. Daring shortcuts brought us to the...

In Madurai, City of Movie Theatres

When you speak Tamil to someone from Madurai, you will notice that they use the word donkey quite a lot -- but they will say "kaluthai." I don't understand their fascination with donkeys - but be that as it may… Even a donkey that grazes...

Of Math & The Monkey God

Centum is Latin for hundred. I don’t know if Italians use the word anymore, but some people in India still do. To them, centum is what a smart kid would score on a math test. In the middle class neighborhood where I grew up, many adults...

Unknown Bestsellers

There is precious little for me to do in Chennai anymore. Most places I liked in my old neighborhood are gone: the quiet corner of a temple with a cannonball tree, the store that sells peanuts in newspaper cones, and the open-air market for...

A Spicebox & Cookbook Got Her Started

When I set off to graduate school in the US, the Internet had not yet taken over the world. I actually spoke to people to gather information about life in America in general and my destination, New Orleans, in particular. So, I was delighted to...