Several Things

There was a dog show in Chennai recently, and hence a number of dog-related articles have appeared in the newspaper. Return of the Rajapalayam is about attempts to promote indigenous Indian breeds, including one from our state of Tamil Nadu: the Rajapalayam hound, which looks like this, and has a skinny tail curled up over its back, and is doubtless better suited to the climate than the magnificent, thick-coated German shepherds which I admire and sympathise with, whenever I see them:

I saw it on Language Hat: Bollywood for Skeptics, which has a number of things about Bollywood movies, and some things about Hindi and Urdu in the movies; and also a selection of Hindi film songs in MP3 format. Everyone's selection of favourite songs would be different of course, but there are three songs here by my favourite composer, A. R. Rahman: Chaiyya Chaiyya, from Dil Se, which is one of the best songs ever (picturised on top of a moving train, the music is full of train sounds); Radha Kaise Na Jale, from Lagaan, which was nominated for a Foreign Film Oscar a couple of years ago; and Taal se Taal, from Taal.

We were coming inside in the evening after badminton, and I said, "Look! Frogs!" – mud-brown, walnut-sized, chasing flying insects in the light from the verandah. Ramesh rolled his eyes, thinking that it was my usual childish thing of crying out Look at this! Look at that! I said defensively, “No, it's not that. It's that we haven't seen any frogs for several years, and I was afraid that it was because of the Great Worldwide Amphibian Die-off!" He became insincerely solemn and said, "Oh, yes, I see, I see."