On my second day, I returned to Lulu Mall, one of the biggest shopping malls in India. This young woman I was talking to said the Trivandrum one is bigger now. I was reminded that there’s one thing that makes or breaks you in India: a packed local bus journey. You’ll love it for being … Continue reading / view photos Lulu Mall
Author: Praful
Return to Kochi
On my first and only trip to India in 2017/8, I travelled south to north on the western side. For my second trip, I’m planning to see more of the eastern side. I’ve started in a familiar place, Kochi. I was last here at the end of 2017. I reached Kochi from London via Abu … Continue reading / view photos Return to Kochi
Abu Dhabi Airport
When booking a flight, I think about when I’m leaving and arriving. I want to leave at a reasonable hour and arrive in the daytime, all things being equal. Arriving to an unfamiliar place in the dark can be quite daunting. In the daytime, you can use public transport, but a night-time arrival usually means … Continue reading / view photos Abu Dhabi Airport
Morecombe and Wise, K-Dramas, and Christmas lights
Christmas time is full of traditions, and everyone has their own. For many people, TV and shopping are a big part of Christmas. The Morecombe & Wise Show When we were growing up, we celebrated Diwali not Christmas. But I have fond memories of Christmas, the highlight of which was watching the telly. I grew … Continue reading / view photos Morecombe and Wise, K-Dramas, and Christmas lights
Open House 2024
I’ve been to Open House a few times. Every year, the Open House Festival opens up London’s architecture, special sites, and neighbourhoods. Some of the places are not normally accessible to the public. You get to see people’s homes, offices, and other interesting buildings. Some places you must book but others you can just drop … Continue reading / view photos Open House 2024
Clacton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze
This weekend, a friend and I walked from Clacton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze. The tide being out, we could walk on the beach for the whole 20 km. With the sun out and mild temperature, it felt more like summer than autumn. We started by walking through Clacton’s town centre, which is quite small. Once on the … Continue reading / view photos Clacton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze
A play, the lido, and outdoor cinema
Last weekend started with a trip to the National Theatre in central London on the river. We went to see The Grapes of Wrath. This is a play of the novel by John Steinbeck. The play follows the book quite closely and recreates the feel of the book with a minimalist set, which was highly … Continue reading / view photos A play, the lido, and outdoor cinema
Paris 2024
One of the reasons I started a blog was to record what I was doing and thinking at a particular point in time. I looked back at my post on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were postponed until 2021. There were so many things about the Tokyo games that I’d forgotten. The most glaring being … Continue reading / view photos Paris 2024
Worcester waddle
During my last trip to Worcester, I didn’t have time to go to its fabulous library, The Hive. This time I spent some time in it. Once I’d walked around the library, I went to the top floor and read my book, The Bee Sting, which everyone seems to be reading and is a page-turner. … Continue reading / view photos Worcester waddle
From Euro 2024 to a lavender farm
It’s been all quiet for me lately, having been absorbed in Euro 2024 and now the Olympics. This year’s Euro football tournament was a mixed affair. In England, there was great hope (as always) for the England team. This time there were genuine reasons to be optimistic. The England team had some of the best … Continue reading / view photos From Euro 2024 to a lavender farm