Arlo, Spot and Spinosaurus were thrilled to discover that Big A and Little A had moved to the Himalaya. It meant that a new adventure was at hand. Arlo and Spot climbed up to the pinnacle of their treehouse in Pluto, a little wooden platform assembled on the highest branch of the great oak tree to catch the next shooting star that was due in…
How the story came to life. The New Year of 2021 took off with humps and bumps of unsuspecting proportions. Excavation works for the communal building started on site without delay, and with the goal of completing the external shell before the arrival of monsoon, for unprotected earth walls and un-tar roads are disagreeable with the incessant rain. Ironically, during this testing period, the need…
It has been over a year since we moved to Astam village. This means that having lived a full cycle of how the seasons come and go, we are beginning to absorb the life pattern that unfolds itself, and appreciate how people live correspondingly to that rhythm. It is ancient wisdom, an intelligent way of living, and a quiet order that has been practised for…
January 2009. One afternoon in Mysore, whilst riding back with Ganesh from a lunch gathering, we collided with another motorcycle whose trajectory intersected with ours and had us displaced to the ground. The incident brought about a few stitches on the knee for a lifetime memory and blistered hands that disabled asana practice for 10 restless days. On informing Guruji, he raised a curious eyebrow…
Licked up in the dust and hullabaloo of Kathmandu and a far cry from the soothing lullaby of Astam village, I write with an ironic sense - of fullness. Words come humped and bumped from a place of uncertainty, frustration and disheartenment; words of transient and fleetingness; words reading disruption of rhythm; words carved out from a journey that we have chosen to put ourselves…
Wild heads of vivid yellow, orange and gold make the shape of loveliness. Dotted with lilac and violet, the starkness of colour brings to life a change of seasons. Untamed, the petite petals perfume wild intentions of overriding the green, unveiling the silence of a Himalayan autumn that is at once a lingering green and gold. Autumn with her usual flair of letting go doesn't…
Little A's bottom has a mysterious disability to sit during most meals. Not unless he amuses himself with pencil and paper, playing cards and with Big A thrown into the equation as he slogs through his meal. There may be a valid theory that the Italians invented pizza and pasta a good while ago to keep their little Italianos seated and behaved. Tried and tested…
The moonbeam was a shard of stillness on a black night eclipsed by the clouds. Even when no moon is seen, its absence was felt. The distant stars burned into the void casting a haunting spree for a pair of beady eyes. The gaze was sharp and eerie. The silence was piercing, occasionally interrupted by a hoot. The plates of Mother Earth were stirred. Restlessness…
Our belongings it was, once upon a timeAll 21 boxes, now a distant memoryIn transit over many monthsAcross waters to the Bay of Bengal. In a shipping container, in solitude they layAt a distant warehouse port, called KolkataKept apart between borders and mountainsWhilst a dark play hovered in unkindness. A mystery that could not be solvedDuring the terrorised reign of CoronaHence reunited we are notWith…
"The sky is pink!" Little A exclaims upon his first glimpse of daylight from the bedroom window."Mama, can you bring the sky to me?" he enquired, befuddled as he was. He rubs his eyes and fumbled for his slippers, treading to the outside world framed from the balcony. Sunbeams penetrated the thick pavlovian clouds casting a shimmering hue of rainbow glitter across the valley. A…
The cat was feeling the munchies. He heard the scurrying legs of cockroaches in the apartment close by. He felt the mischievous twitches of his whiskers and knew an adventure was awaiting him. It was a wet rainy night. Perfect for a quick outdoor play with the frogs before making his appearance.In his wet suit, he leapt out from the 2nd floor window adjacent to…
Restrained by the relentless monsoon rain whilst the dung beetles roll in glee, I settled on the balcony, watching the vastness of life before me. The black birds frolicking in the dew of the trees, acquiring scruffy crests drenched in mischief. A spider floats into eye view hanging playfully on her thread from the edge of the ceiling, in search of a meal. She spots…
Before dawn, in consciousness I awake.At once, sound breaks into the stillness of night.I lay, hearing the cacophony of cicadas, crickets and frogs,Orchestrating their songs of eligibility.Their volumes, rising and vibrating with the tides of the moon,Deafening in synchronicity.Chaos and madness it seems at first,But in composition and orchestration, without masterpiece,The oscillation of rhythm is to perfection.The song of millions, thunders through twilight and dawn,Pulsating…
There is the intention of letting the boys be self-directed most of the time in terms of their learning experience. From being immersed in the process of building our home, being with nature and feeling comfortable with the insects, worms, birds and animals, being a part of a new culture and language and making it their own, being with all types of people where age…
It has been 121 days since we left the material comforts and conveniences of the tropical city. Living up on an altitude of 1400 meters, and very close to the elements, we cannot but be intimate with Mother Nature with every breath we take. Grasped in her hold and intertwining locks, we can choose to ride in accordance with her laws, rhythms and cycles. Or…
We set foot in the valley of Kashmir in 1988. Just barely before the Insurgency broke out in 1989. A young tween then, I was oblivious to what we were to encounter. We had somehow captured a slice of ‘Heaven on Earth’ before the tragic events of Kashmir would come into play. The shikhara was traversing a pristine mirrored lake reflecting white snow-filled mountains and…
A grouchy hairy beast shoots a piercing look. In your direction. What do you do? Run like the Bolt and don't look back. Buffaloes don't have much sense of humour. They are dead serious and give no warning at all. We were told that one will never outrun a buffalo, nor survive them in a wrestle, so your only option is to get a head start and climb a…
In the dark night, wide awake to the howling and angst of the ruthless wind, The thunder roared and rumbled repeatedly in waves of drum rolls. Lashings of rain pelting the metal roofs incessantly drowning all voices, Accompanied by swirling vortices of air and racing wind speeds. She sent all creatures scurrying for shelter, huddled in terror and cold, Tamed by her emotional deadly strikes…
In December 2019, 13 men from Jumla travelled for 3 days to arrive at Astam. They came from afar with a handful of belongings, a mountain load of enthusiasm, a sense of humour and a joyful spirit. They came to build our home and yoga shala, and willingly help us with everything that needs doing on the land. Multi-tasked as they are, they have proven…
With the global pandemic of 2020, Mother Nature has finally had some time to recuperate and restore a little balance in her ecosystems. It’s a time of contemplation for the human species and HOPE that our old habits of mindless consumerism may change and economies rethink to adopt more sustainable solutions. There is talk in the air that the internet may crash anytime soon as…
A question for an urbanite: What do you have for breakfast when there are no crusty loaves from the oven, overnight oatmeal or fruit, steamed pao, or dare we utter the ultimate that, that distinguishes a Malaysian from all others - nasi lemak? The answer that transpires from the modest hills overlooking the abode of snow: dish out Kodo Ko roti. Everyday. Fresh from the…
It has been 2 months since we made our big move to Astam, a hamlet tucked under the embrace of the Annapurna. The boys, much to our surprise, have adjusted almost seamlessly, soaking in new experiences with light-heartedness and a sense of fun. I couldn't be more thankful. Often enough, when the freezing waters and icy winds get me down, I would find inspiration in…
Building with earth beneath our feet sounds almost poetic. But reality relies on us being sensitive to the natural environment and understanding the cyclical nature and disposition of how everything on this planet is interdependent on one another. This means that what we consume, utilize and pollute comes back to us in one form or another. With no exception, building ecologically and sustainably deserves a…
In the absence of formwork, A beauty rises, unbidden. Gravel, sand, clay— A trinity of dust and stone. Pounded down, layer by layer, Earth surrendering to force, Shaped not by hands But by the weight of the world itself. A rugged edge, a broken tooth, A fissure filled with shadow, A murmur of ochre, A vein of rust, an ember of gold. The wall sings…