Blog
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Chennai Photowalk: In Search of Golu
Golu, also known as Kolu or Bommai Golu – the “festival of dolls” – has come to Chennai. Golu is celebrated during the festival of Navratri in southern India. I find the background of the festival confusing, not knowing many of the stories relating to Hinduism, but the festival manifests itself in southern India in
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From the Township to the Championship: The Amazing Story Behind One Photo
This is Sofia Simon, a fifteen-year-old, in Giza, Egypt. Â She’s on a layover in Cairo, on her way to compete in the World Biathle Championships in Cyprus. Â Never heard of biathle? Â Eighteen months ago, neither had Sofia. Â Eighteen months ago, she couldn’t swim, either. Â And tomorrow she will represent her country in a sport that
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Crater Lake and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
I just finished “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” – probably the only person to have never read this book. Â The characters follow almost the exact same route through Oregon and northern California as we did on our very own “Chautauqua” last summer. Â I have always been drawn to Crater Lake – I’m not
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Found Film: 110 “Pocket Instamatic”
One of those small 110 cartridges people used to put in “pocket instamatic” and other miniature cameras in the 1970s and 1980s came into my possession the other day. Â All twelve pictures had been taken. Â No idea whose it was originally – it was probably found in an old camera picked up at a garage
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The International Coastal Cleanup: Chennai, India
Today we joined thousands of Chennaiites in taking part in the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup. Regular readers in this blog will recognize that Chennai struggles to maintain clean beaches and waterways, like many large urban areas on the coast.  It was impressive to see the number of people involved and active in this annual event.