Tribute to Sujatha Ramprasad: January 1971-March 2016 Mountains heaved out of the Bay area landscape in chiseled light and shade as the morning fog clung to their tops. We descended slowly down a mountain, amidst the grumbles we heard from the wheels. Suja looked at...
In a shocking reversal of trends, showing one’s undergarments has changed from being a faux pas to a fashion statement. Those of us who are used to snickering “Sunday is longer than Monday” at the sight of a peeking undergarment should refrain from going to places...
Raji was looking forward to a long relaxing bath. She even took the day off to really savor it. With the kids off at school, the house was empty and quiet. She mentally fixed the time at which she would take her bath; at noon she would fill the bath tub with nice warm...
I was headed east from California on a red-eye flight. As soon as I boarded the plane I buckled up, covered myself with my very own red blanket and tried to fall asleep. I have heard some pretty colorful stories about the way in which the airline blankets are cleaned...
Thank you to all for submitting your story to Katha: Desi Fiction Contest 2014. As the judges can attest, it was a very tough job to identify the finalists. To all the writers who submitted, keep writing and keep submitting. Congratulations to all the winners. Here...
Our Words, Our Sentiments “It was in such information-de-saturated times that I landed in Dayton, on a balmy summer day.” Rajee Padmanabhan, The Power of My 929, July 2013 “Leaving aside the ludicrousness of why someone would be traipsing about on a brightly lit sunny...
A Supplementary Diet The cover article (“The Supplement Cocktail,” India Currents, March 2013)laments the lack of adequate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for food supplements and so-called nutraceutical supplements. However, since these supplements are...
I grew up in a household where there were no garbage bins. Nothing was thrown away. Everything was reused or recycled; except the term recycling had not yet been coined. Kitchen waste was thrown into a huge pit near thepavazamali plant in the backyard. We thought a...
Every South Asian immigrant has two stories. One is a green card saga and the other is a story about how his or her name was maimed, mauled or mutilated. I too have my very own green-card novelette; but that is for another day. This one is all about naming the rose....
In the United States, even a visit to the local store to pick up milk is a multi-step process. The kids are first placed in the back seat of the car in a car seat and buckled up. The driver then fastens his/her seat belt, adjusts the rear-view mirror, and drives on....
