“It’s still a New Year!” sang out the sun as it rose over a sleeping world, “It’s only twelve days old!” And from every tree a collective caw, a chirp and a cheep of joy rose in crescendo, as they were warmly awakened by God’s own herald, the sun. And…
Give Imagineering a Try..!
Three sparkling white buildings! A guest house with grounds! All housing one hundred and four orphans! And yet I remember when all of this wasn’t ever there, not on the ground nor also in the mind of the founder. He had come to me on one of his donation collecting…
Grandpa’s Words Of Wisdom..!
A friend sent me these gems of wisdom penned by a grandpa, and since I’ve become one again two days ago, I thought I’d share them with you all, so have a laugh: Whether a man winds up with a nest egg, or a goose egg, depends a lot on…
Hills, Mountains and the Divine..!
Though I have visited and holidayed with family in quite a few of the hill stations, the visit I remember so well was the Rohtang Pass in Kulu Manali. The sudden appearance of the mighty Himalayas, peak after peak after peak, like old sages of wisdom, grouped together, not concerned…
Let Your Voices Ring..!
One Sunday morning in church, I felt like a racehorse with an iron yoke on my shoulders. I wanted to shout to the Lord, to sing out, to cry out the words in the hymn that we were trudging through like defeated soldiers returning from a lost war, but thought…
Go Slow Drivers Association..!
In India, you can build the broadest roads, but it’s such a waste as I found out as three trucks drove abreast on a highway with my poor car unable to overtake, “I’m sure there’s a plot to keep us slow!” I thought and then imagined a ‘Go Slow Driver’s…
Dragged Twelve Kilometres..!
On New Year’s Eve, most cities in our country have the highest number of policemen on duty. Because this is one night they are supposed to really work, and that’s not about ‘solving’ a crime, but about ‘preventing’ one. To prevent, police have to depend on eyes, ears and instinct!…
Much Ado About Almost Nothing..!
It was a strange ride back home one Sunday. The daughters were furious and so was their father; me. Something had happened that we all felt was unfair. “I’ve been insulted,” said my eldest. “It’s not fair,” said my younger one. “I’m going to blast those people tomorrow,” I said…
One Broken Tile..!
It could have either been a careless mason, or that the area under the tile was crumbling and had to be broken. And so, broken it was. Not just the area beneath the tile, but the tile also. The mason did his job, plastered the area underneath that needed reinforcing…
How to Choose a Contractor..!
The doorbell rang and the watchman outside gave me a smart salute and handed me a piece of paper to sign, ‘There is a managing committee meeting in the society office sir,’ he said. ‘Secretary sahib wants you to come down immediately.’ I swore to myself as I signed the…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.