The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Atul Kamble
You and I, in beautiful Mumbai
A mobility-impaired pet dog named Ellie takes a stroll with a furry friend at Carter Road in Bandra
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Celebrating the journey of allies
People at a previous edition of The Acceptance Meet
Come Independence Day, and the city will see an interesting event called The Acceptance Meet 2023, to celebrate the journey of knowing the ‘+’. Yaariyan (part of the Humsafar Trust) and Queer Adda with support of CFLI-Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and TRANScend supported by Publicis Sapient CSR, are celebrating incredible stories of allyship. “Coming out for a queer person is such a significant aspect and it gets discussed and spoken about. But what about the other side? Even allies have made the journey of acceptance. They are kind of like the other side of the coin. So this meet is about celebrating the allyship,” Sudhanshu Latad of the Humsafar Trust told this diarist. He added that an ally can be anyone who is not queer and has made the amazing journey of acceptance.
Making news
Two life-sized newspapers from Studio Vida’s paper work series
A tangible reward of putting together print editions of a newspaper is being able to comprehend one’s contribution when you pick up the paper the next morning. Pottery artist and educator Vidhi Dedhia (inset)recently crafted the experience for herself when she created a series of ceramic life-sized newspapers. She told this diarist, “This was a commissioned project from an architect. She noticed a small ceramic page I had done and wanted full-sized newspapers with certain articles and clippings that mattered to her. I used my own mix for the clay because it had to be lightweight to get the correct shape when you warped the clay. And the articles are all hand-painted by me. It takes around four hours to paint one newspaper.”
Dedhia, who runs a pottery studio in Mulund called @studiovida_mumbai, is known for her inspired artworks that are beautifully designed and functional. Another one of her recent creations, was a ceramic newspaper plate perfect for at-home chaat dinners. Speaking about her inspiration, she shared, “I get inspired by real life and everyday things around me. I look at something and think about how it would look when made in ceramic. But I think ideas are overrated. An idea will only make sense when it is executed.”
Chasing pavements in Mulund
The pavement on Lala Devidayal Road; (right) a part of this pavement where paver blocks have gone missing
In early 2023, this diarist was in for a pleasant surprise while passing by the leafy Lala Devidayal Road in Mulund West. Vintage lamp posts had been installed in front of a well-laid-out footpath that lined the spruced-up BMC office for T Ward. Its boundary wall bore arty tributes to sweepers and other municipal workers. We secretly hoped that such aesthetics would be extended to the rest of the suburb. Alas, that was never to be. Cut to a recent revisit of the same stretch; the paver blocks on this once-‘chakachak’ pavement had given away towards one end of the boundary wall. It remains a hazard for pedestrians since it’s a busy intersection. We shall not get into the condition of pavements elsewhere. And so just like what most Mumbaikars utter when they witness such scenes, we too sighed: “Uska ‘The end’ ho gaya.”
Not cool anymore?
Pic Courtesy/@ishqsekha
Is playing — we flaunted this candy more than we ate it — with Phantom cigarettes a memory for every millennial? Back when kiranas were window shops, Phantom was always displayed upfront. The kiranas still exist minus the candy showcase. Street food blogger @ishqsekha recently revived our memory about this slice of nostalgia when she posted about the pack’s non-vegetarian labelling and ingredient list that included ‘Gelatin (Animal Origin)’. As kids, we often distributed this treat among friends, so this diarist can’t help but think about the oversight from consumers. While we are more clued into reading labels now, who would’ve checked for such details on candy wrappers back then?
Miles for a cause
Ram Mohan KM with his bike. Pic Courtesy/Demosh Rao
Tomorrow (August 15), Cause Riders, a voluntary social upliftment biker group, will undertake their third annual Freedom Ride from a location in Chembur to CampMax at Kalote where they will convene to hoist the Indian Tricolour. The ride will witness nearly 600 bikers celebrate freedom and camaraderie as they ride together and later hoist the 40-foot National Flag at a height of approximately 100 feet. Founder Ram Mohan KM shares, “We will also look back at our previous rides, new chapter launches, release the next ride calendar and have some [live] music.” He started the platform in 2020 to encourage people to undertake good deeds and support for social causes.
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