@suketumehta ‘s brilliant book on migrants/immigrants.

‘Jaikishan Heights’ in Queens, New York gave me a chuckle.

And the chapter on African migrant taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi is fascinating, and hard hitting. There should be more work on African migrants in the Gulf.

Raining Investments for Mukesh Bhai.

#UAEinIndia

Clearly the conception and lived experience of national history is not uniform. Pre British era histories are complicated. One place’s hero is another place’s villain.

Reading The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, Page 72

Have re-read this incredible resource over the last decade to find new insights, or reaffirming old observations regarding the desi Khaleeji experience with local sponsors, the subtle disadvantage in everyday lived experience. Andrew Gardner’s work never feels dated. #gulf

Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore’s webinar on ‘Unpacking UAE’s Foreign Policy’ moderated by a leading Omani Scholar Prof Abdullah Baabood

Great Emirati Panel, very comprehensive.

01.06.2020

Half a year blew away
With it carnage
Leaving wreckage
For a while
To sense make
Is it an Error 404
Of a time
Where every search
Hits a ‘Firewall’
A Great Wall
Of Challenges,
Confront with a mask
With a ‘distance’
From ‘Business as Usual’

Writing is an art. English is a language, rather a class affect in India, but writing clearly, is about thinking clearly. Writing is the best pedagogical tool for thinking through ideas, cutting the clutter of noise.
It is sad writing is learnt by default rather than by design. Writing is not about scribbling your class 10/12 essay from the guide book. Attention spans might be plummeting, however text is not dead, rather sky rocketing as we are reading the most.
We need Amish as well as Spivak. Hoping that formal writing education picks up in India.