When one is around nine or ten, one is inevitably short of cash. Of course, one has a wallet — the wallet being one’s parents — but this is hardly a limitless source. Or rather, this is hardly an unconditional source. And one craves the independence of not having to ask...

A few weeks ago, I volunteered at a wedding. We have to complete 12 hours of volunteering as part of our grade. The university had suggested a couple places where our unpaid labour would be much appreciated and so it was that after a hurried email correspondence...

I set out for Ranganathan Street (a street with a bazaar in it) a couple days ago at around 3:00pm. I paid an auto driver far more than I should have to take me there (mostly because I was too scared to haggle; a personality trait that will come to haunt me...

Cooking and I do not go together. We do not gel well. We have the sort of relationship where we nod at one another politely from opposite ends of the room before turning and attending to our respective businesses. This poor relationship has been a bit of a long-standing thing. When I was a child, my friends...