Pleasant surprise

May 2013
I was near Chicago with time on hand. Was getting used to Wall Street Journal. Rana Plaza tragedy was just unfolding. More than 1100 garment workers had perished in the collapse of the building -Rana Plaza. WSJ was making very good coverage of the accident and it was analysing the working of global value chains and large retail shops which leads to such accidents. John Bussey was the journalist in charge. So I sent him an email showing my appreciation. He replied promptly thanking me.
September 2019
I was watching 'A mighty heart' - a movie based on the killing of Daniel Pearl by terrorists in Pakistan. Pearl was WSJ  South Asia bureau chief in Pakistan. Some parts of the movie were shot in Pune. The film was made in 2007. It is good. John Bussey plays an important role in it. Another actor played the role but I felt very connected!
It is a small world.

Comments

The best type of blogs relate to food, travel and self-help - according to a recent article I saw.
No wonder then that my blog does not show much traffic.

Dilemma

Going to a superstores once a month is something I look forward.
The stores is a famous one - the first departmental stores in town. It has an enviable location, is spacious and has courteous staff. Its sections on three floors are full of goods. Many people, even men, make it a point to visit it regularly.
The stores has kept abreast of all the latest changes in retail industry. It allots shelf space to particular brands of tea, coffee, honey and other eats. It has promotion schemes every month. The merchandise changes constantly. For every item, many brands are displayed and by reading the labels carefully, one has to really decide.
Many people have the impression that its merchandise is costly. I do not think so. I have recently had occasion to compare its price with that of an established, old type 'kirana' shop. The 'kirana' shop price was well ahead!
In spite of all this, I find that after I come home, our dry garbage can is, within no time, full of plastic wraps and paper cartons of things I have bought. Their volume surprises me every time. Inevitable I suppose for the 'Look and choose' policy of the stores.
I have begun to see a direct conflict between my enjoyment and environment degradation. What to do?

Teachers' day

We stayed in a small town for a year. I had to do a lot of adjustment as the school syllabus was very different. On the positive side was a drawing class that took place once a week. My old school did not have any.
A new drawing teacher joined the school late. He wore very thick eyeglasses. He was middle-aged and was very reticent. he made us do free-hand drawing and then gave a design which had to be filled with water colours on the weekend and brought to the next class.
The work intrigued me.  Mixing colours, applying them on paper was very exciting but the work left me exhausted. I was clumsy.
Few students had completed this beautiful assignment. The teacher gazed at my painting for a long time and said, "You have applied colour very thickly as if it were oil paint. Also you have used yellow and black close to each other. That is not done."
The painting that he held out before the class was that of a boy who had used very pale colours. It did not impress me one bit. I also did not understand Sir's logic.
I have started dabbling a little in painting now and it has taken me a year to understand the flow and beauty of water colours. I realize now that water colours must be transparent, lightly applied and allowed to run. Every time I look at some water colour painting, I remember my teacher.
On Teachers' day, I remember him but not many other teachers.
He left the school before the year was over. He did not talk much. From his demeanor I inferred straightened conditions at home. How much did art-teachers get in those days? Getting a permanent job and supporting a family must have been difficult.
Looking back, I feel he understood the mystery of art and did his best to initiate us raw yokels into it. I do not remember his name. I have no means to trace him but he has left an indelible mark on me.