Almost Heaven

Say what you want about them, but Americans really like America. And not just in the zealous, ‘this-is-my-motherland-and-I-will-lay-down-somebody’s-life-for-it’ kind of way. Nor am I talking about the patriotic hypermush that causes films like Independence Day and their subsequent triumphs at the Oscars. What I find really cool is the less lofty, more everyday kind of affection that finds its way into songs and on to t-shirts.

Not The One

I used to be able to point at a car from among traffic and sexistly pronounce, “That’s being driven by a woman.” Any ladies in the car with me would, of course, immediately assault me with cries of ‘MCP’ etc.; but in eight cases out of ten, I’d be right.

Diagonal in Delhi

I’ve had it up till here with people saying that Delhi’s drivers are a rude and uncultured lot. It’s simply not true. Well, ‘rude’ may be true, but ‘uncultured’ definitely not. Delhi’s drivers have, in fact, a demonstrably literary bent of mind. And as proof of same I point to the pervasive influence of Harry Potter.