Film (watched though not necessarily released in 2017) 01. Lion 02. Silence 03. La La Land 04. Dunkirk 05. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King 06. Wind River 07. The 13th 08. The Salesman 09. The Light Between Oceans 10. The Big Sick 11. Logan 12. Chasing Coral 13. Jerry Before Seinfeld 14. Gaga: Five Foot Two … Continue reading Best of 2017
The Humility of God (Part Two)
Read Part One Here Around 1764, Catherine the Great acquired a collection of paintings - including several Rembrandt's - that would subsequently hang in galleries connecting various pavilions of the Winter Palace and Imperial Hermitage. I don't believe The Return of the Prodigal Son was one of these initial acquisitions, but it makes sense that … Continue reading The Humility of God (Part Two)
The Humility of God (Part One)
This summer, my parents invited Jennifer and me (for a two year wedding anniversary gift!) on an eleven-day Scandinavian cruise. You read that right. The itinerary included stops in Norway, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as two days in St. Petersburg, Russia. There was so much beauty to imbibe, from the vastness … Continue reading The Humility of God (Part One)
James Blake, Minneapolis
I was very spoiled when I lived in Chicago as any and every band that I wanted to see came through. My first and second years of university, especially, were little else than a musical bonanza. My friends and I (cloistered in the suburbs west of Chicago) took virtually opportunity those two years to take … Continue reading James Blake, Minneapolis
Postals de Barcelona
This past August, I had the privilege of traveling (at last!) to Barcelona with my father. It was a chance-of-a-lifetime trip and I won't soon forget it. Thanks dad. Not the same without you, mom. David and Camille: you, Avignon, and Venasque were the perfect combination. Mercat de la Boqueria Taking a brief respite from … Continue reading Postals de Barcelona
India
For most of my life, the fact that I am from India was little more than an embarrassment. I grew up in settings replete with the influences of western culture (with friends who were mostly white) and as such, my associations with being Indian arose mainly from the typical stereotypes having to do with a … Continue reading India
A Camera is Worth a Thousand Words
Several years ago, my grandfather bequeathed his Rolleicord camera to me. He and my grandmother bought it in 1954 for 1,500 rupees (US $29.4) and it became their means of documenting the simple goings-on of home and family life. Until I got wind of its existence, it had been sitting dormant in a small valise … Continue reading A Camera is Worth a Thousand Words
India
For most of my life, the fact that I am from India was little more than an embarrassment. I grew up in settings replete with the influences of western culture (with friends who were mostly white) and as such, my associations with being Indian arose mainly from the typical stereotypes having to do with a … Continue reading India
The Decisive Moment
My favorite photographer is Henri Cartier-Bresson. In addition to being amongst the stealthiest of photographers (rumor has it that he could finish several rolls of film in a crowd without anyone even remembering that he was there), he had an uncanny ability to capture moments. Cartier-Bresson said the following of photography in the preface to … Continue reading The Decisive Moment
Kusa Warak Diwali
Recently, my friend Michael and I were invited to a Palestinian woman's house for a traditional meal. On a Friday afternoon, we walked down a street which was brightened by sunlight to her home on the corner. When we entered, one of her daughters was mopping the floor whilst barefoot, leaving a sheen of water … Continue reading Kusa Warak Diwali
Writing Is Prayer 