Monthly Archives: September 2015

Books in Chenna: Anna Centenary Library and Starmark

Posted on September 6, 2015 by | Leave a comment

During our first week in Chennai we discovered the Renga Lending Library here in our own neighborhood (Click here to read that post: “Saved by the Neighborhood Library“). The following week we trekked a little farther afield to three other book sites: The Anna Centenary Library, built in 2010; The Phoenix Mall Starmark, one of the newest bookstores in Chennai; and Higginbotham’s, India’s oldest bookseller.

IMG_20150824_111304_499 IMG_20150824_150118_096 Continue reading →

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Posted in book review, India, Indian authors, libraries, Tamil Nadu

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The Bare Necessities in India

Posted on September 3, 2015 by | Leave a comment

The day after we arrived in India, a hotel clerk directed us to the “In & Out” convenience store at the gas station near our hotel. “They have everything,”  he promised. Indeed, besides the convenience store, the rather deluxe complex includes a juice bar, a sweet shop, an ATM, and a florist shop.

Later it occurred to me that what you’re likely to find in a convenience store is a mix of the frivolous–cheap candy and fast food–and the essential—items you would pay double for if you left them behind on a trip. A survey revealed some interesting similarities and contrasts with what we would expect to find in the U.S. Continue reading →

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Posted in South Asia, Travel

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