March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Movement” — Moving around Amsterdam. Sampling the delights. Twenty-plus years back, my family and I were on our way to India via Amsterdam. At Schiphol airport, we learned our connecting flight was delayed — by eight hours. Our teenagers declared they were bored. Already. R talked to the info desk. They gave him a list of guided tours…

Why planting too deep harms a tree — Last summer, I got a plum tree for my backyard. The tree was a tender and promising green at planting. But, two months later, the leaves turned grotesquely curly and brown. It was a scorcher of a summer. So, I upped the run time on my sprinklers. Still , new…

The softer side of the famous author — a Photo Story — The above print is a reproduction of Hemingway’s photograph that hangs in his house on Florida’s Key West Island. The original was created by the noted Canadian portrait photographer, Yousuf Karsh in 1957. The portrait is held (not currently on view) by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle — Fishermen three, on the river Tennessee! Setting: Decatur, Alabama, Tennessee river. This is the tableau I glimpsed from my hotel window first thing today morning. I was still half-asleep, and for a moment, I thought I was viewing a painting. The light filtering through grey clouds had tinted the scene with muted browns and the palest…

March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Movement” — A Mover in her own right! These sneakers belonged to my mother-in-law. She was a tiny lady — all of four feet, nine inches. We bought these shoes from the children’s section at Target. She loved walking — in muggy Mumbai summers and bone-chilling Chicago winters. But sneakers were reserved for visits to other countries. …

How to make pooris: Plain, Masala, and Banana — Pooris — Nobody in the family wanted to eat the last two bananas. They had darkened to gold and were profusely spotted with black. I would have fed them to my compost tumbler if I was home. Bananas contain potassium; they are great for promoting blooms. But I was at my daughter’s…

The benefits of the unipedal stance — During my walk, I snapped a picture of this bird standing on one leg on a rock in the lake shallows. On my return, I saw the bird (maybe the same one) still in the same position. When I got back home, I tried standing on one leg. I couldn’t…

About Me in twelve steps — One of the best things about reading on Medium is that you come across talented writers, unique stories, and fun challenges. Check out Terry Pottinger’s light-filled poem and challenge titled: “We Are What We Repeatedly Do.” My poem below is an About-Me themed response to Terry’s challenge. Every time I…

What it means to be a “Tinglehead” — While researching my story about the internet Mukbang phenomenon, I bumped into its increasingly trending cousin, ASMR. ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a term used to describe the sensation of goosebumps or tingling in the scalp or back of the neck in response to a gentle (usually auditory or…