Will I ever get back to a proper weekly rhythm for these notes? Who knows, but at least I’ve made it a whole year. I’ll toast this little milestone with my evening coffee today.
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
1.
I’m back home after about ten days of travel. It is nice to sleep on my own bed and work on my own desk. Of course, being in these parts as the AQI is in free fall is never exactly pleasant but there are glimpses of blue skies and life keeps going on.
2.
Amber and I were in Bombay together after years. After our hotel misadventure in Worli, it was nice to be in Colaba, in the thick of architecture that we love. We went on many type documentation walks around the neighbourhood, ate some lovely meals, and relaxed a little when we could. I loved our long walk up and down Marine Drive. Yes, it was hazy and the air quality didn’t inspire a desire to be outdoors, but it was simply wonderful to be in a third place where so many folks from the city gather. I did, however, pay the price for that, and fell sick on our last day.
That was a mess because we were headed next to Colombo, where I was speaking at the Sri Lanka Design Festival and their type conference, Script and Structure. I slept 14 hours straight on my first day, skipped all the evenings out and thankfully felt well enough to have a nice time at the conference. The events and conversations were absolutely fantastic, and the scale intimate, just how I like it. I spent time with Pathum and Sumanthri, and met Kosala properly for the first time. It was fun to be on an all-women panel with Sumanthri, Malindi and Leyanvi, and hang out with Anant and Sarang who I haven’t met in India (ever for Anant, and in years for Sarang). I’m also glad I got a sneak peek at the W A Silva Museum with Pathum and Mr. Ravi. There is so much interesting stuff happening in Colombo — I wish I visited more often.
Colombo is one Amber’s favourite cities, and it was our third visit. We went back to some of our old favourites like Black Cat and Ministry of Crab. He tried lots of new (to him) teas, and here too, we went to watch the sun set at Galle Face. I guess when you live inland, the water is so magnetic. This was our first time in Colombo in our birding era, so we went birdwatching around Beira Lake on our last morning. Between the spot-billed pelicans we saw there and a pair of whiskered terns from the restaurant window at lunch, both Amber and I added two new lifers to our lists.
3.
While I was away, the exhibition I had been involved in for almost a year opened in Delhi. It is called The Past has a Home in the Future, and tells the story of Connaught Place and Dhoomimal Gallery, and how these spaces have been centres of art, design and creative pursuits not only in the city but the country. This was a really exciting project to be part of, though it took more out of me than I ever imagined.
On Saturday, my parents, Amber and I went to see the exhibition and then celebrated the project with high tea at the Atrium at the Imperial. Having tea there together was a joke that my Dad and I made when I was in my teens, and it only took us close to twenty years to make it happen. The restaurant made pretty nice arrangements for my Dad despite his dietary restrictions, and that means we should return soon.
4.
It has been tough getting back to work. I am still quite tired from the incessant work load of the last few weeks months, and with two deadlines looming next week, my mind is still not at rest. I pushed myself in Colombo, and again after I’ve come back, which means I have definitely slowed my own recovery down. I had a migraine attack on Friday, and two days later, it is still lingering.