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Please help us with stay recommendations in Munnar.

So, I showed the kids photos and websites of the following places:

http://www.auroville.org/
http://puvidham.in/puvidham-learning-centre/
http://cuckoochildren.blogspot.in/
http://www.marudamfarmschool.org/
http://pcfl-kfi.org/pathashaala/
http://www.navadarshanam.org/
http://protovillage.org/

They are the most excited about Auroville. So, if we wanted to go plonk in Auroville for a week, what would be the best way to go about it? Where do we stay (think backpackers). Who do we contact so we can truly appreciate their work in alternative housing and sustainable energy.

@[601093713:2048:Mayank], they are quite excited about ProtoVillage also. They liked all the interesting housing work going on there. How does one reach the place from Chennai?

@[595895909:2048:Gurumoorthy], can we reach Tiruvanamalai from Pondicherry?

After Pondicherry/Tiruvanamalai, we have to head to Munnar. What would be the best connection for that? Train?

Prateek Sharma, you set out to solve a good problem. I hate you for leaving it unsolved ;-)

What does this little guy see in this fryum? A display with pixels. Yep, this one's a nerd, Alastair Young.

Santa Nilay wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.

A Google Photos album. Some volunteering work with the kids' school.

So I made some albums using Google Photos today. The experience is so much better than Facebook.

Now I want to share them on Facebook. I don't want to make them public, since these albums have my kids in them. Google will only let me select people from my Gmail address book to share with. What I want to do is share it friends-only on Facebook.

And that's when I realised. Google has its own social network. They want me to use that for friends-only sharing.

Well played, Google, well played. If you can't build a more popular social network, build an awesome photo software.

So, this just happened. I wrote a nonsensical comment on a former classmate's post, and the next person to waltz in and comment is an actual successful movie actor. Now I don't know whether to leave my stupid comment there or remove it.

Saurabh Jain. An embarrassment to his friends since 1985 (before that they were too young to notice).

The things we waste our time on...

I am planning the kids' winter vacation trip, and can't decide between listing Hampi in the "experiential places" shortlist or the "tourist places". So I "research".

Please contribute to our list of destinations. We are looking for an experience similar to our summer trip to the Barefoot College. https://drive.google.com/open?id=15SAa3_yl7PWeSD3ykw4m2WhkBr8&usp=sharing

AQI in Delhi is literally off the charts today. It is 999 in two places - which means they couldn't compute how bad it is. In R K Puram, South Delhi, where much of Delhi's well heeled live, PM 2.5 is 501 and PM 10 is 999 - again, off the charts. I had the misfortune of being in Saket twice today. On both occasions, the air was fetid. SPM levels were so high, you could smell them, not just feel them in your throat.

What have we done to our city, our planet? I am so glad my children are on vacation from today. I can take them away from this horrid mess. But for how long? Where is the solution to this? Who is bothered? :-(

This is a very beautiful event that we went for last Christmas. We are unable to go today, but if you are free you should definitely go. It is a great learning experience for the kids. They see historical and new churches, learn the history of our city, and then visit some underprivileged families.

Wow. What depth of perception. He knows what he is talking about because he has lived it all his life.

This is how dirty my car AC filter was. Please have your car AC filters cleaned and replaced regularly, Delhites. It cost me only ₹585 and some of my time to replace.

More info here http://www.saurabhja.in/car-air-purifiers/

All the gold we see on Earth was created inside supernovae, or when neutron stars collided. It was subsequently carried to Earth on asteroids.

This is so cool. Now I actually want to wear some gold :-)

Googles बाधा for kid's homework.

Google suggests "प्रेत बाधा से मुक्ति"

Two people have contacted me about purifier purchase in the last twelve hours.

Please do not go by manufacturer recommendations. All purifiers are designed for average AQI 30, not the 300 that Delhites are subjected to.

Don't buy the biggest purifier that your budget permits. Buy the biggest purifier you can find. Air pollution is toxic and deadly. If passive smoking is so bad that we are subjected to messages and ads about it every time we watch a movie in a theatre or on TV, imagine how bad persistent air pollution is. Stop saving money on this thing. Feel blessed that money can solve this problem for you, unlike the majority of Indians.

Thank you Tirath Mehta for a delicious meal of veggie burgers, and an evening full of fun for the kids.

Being an entrepreneur and following your heart isn't easy. Wishing Tirath's Kitchen, Gurgaon. all the success!

Thank you Tirath's Kitchen for the wonderful veggie burgers today. The kids loved them and so did I.

Parade हो गई सुबह सुबह

Meethu, did you like the waffle?

Yes

And did you like the pancake?

Yes

Do you know the difference between a waffle and a pancake?

No

She won't smile as long as I'm photographing her. Tough bird.

Yujan, the annual festival at the kids' school. Bigger, better, funner this year.

These guys are really good. Join us if you're nearby.

Retweeted First Last (@RoastedPapad):

[Zombie Apocalypse in India]

Zombie 1 - Lets eat people.
Zombie 2 - I am a vegetarian.
Zombie 3 - Bhai mein toh Jain hun.

Aiyoh! I ranked 2 in this quiz. The average Indian ranked bottom - 41. Indians are the least informed about India and other Indians. Interesting.

Pokémon GO has been taking us to all the nearby shops for the last couple of days, making us spend precious money.

We have discovered that our neighbourhood mall is infested by rats. Rats, Rattatas, what's the difference?

Google Fit is very happy that Pokémon GO is making me walk all over the place.

This is such a pathetically poor argument.

No ₹100 note is going to last 1,00,000 transactions. It's a piece of paper. Even a piece of gold wouldn't last that much handling. Every time that note needs replacement, it costs public money. Any time it is deposited into a bank or dispensed by an ATM, it costs money to be handled.

Also, nobody, absolutely nobody charges 2.5% transaction fees. Most interbank transfers and inter-wallet transfers are free. Card transactions cost 1.25% or less. Certain unique situations demand a higher transaction cost - usually when cash is involved. Ergo, dealing in cash costs institutions money.

@[763864788:2048:Anupam Varghese], very well written.

Please read. Eko has been at the forefront of bringing banking to the masses. Anupam knows more about the issues involved in a cashless India than most of us.

If almost all the demonetised banknotes come back, would the government consider reintroducing them instead of printing new ones? Because, trees.

There goes the neighbourhood

I have been a similar, horrible situation once. A government department published my personal mobile number in a widely circulated memo. My organisation was listed as one of the vendors for an item. For years, I would get calls from the remote corners of the nation. We were not even willing to sell this item directly to these remote customers.

I wish government officials were more considerate before listing people's mobile numbers on a circular like this. I am sure all these clinics have landline numbers, which are better means of communication.

Suicide is a crime. Why are we compensating with public money, those who willing commited a crime?

How can Irom Sharmila fasting be a crime, and these people immolating themselves be a public tragedy?

A beautiful morning in Delhi today. Foggy streets. Lots of people out jogging. Garam chai. And if all this still doesn't perk you up, then remember

This Too Shall Pass

The event hasn't even started yet, and Kavin is already a unicorn.

Would love to spend a day at this lovely place. And camp for a night. Been meaning to go for ages now (since last winter). कुछ दोस्त interested हों तो program बने. Ping here.

Stop whatever you are doing and look at this. Yes, there are others like you with the same, unexplained feelings inside them. We are all human.

If you're in Delhi/NCR you should attend. This is truly special. It will change your perspective on your life.

In Delhi the NGT has been going on rallying against vehicular pollution. And every expert and government keeps pointing at other sources of pollution such as stubble burning. Gotta hand it to the wigs at NGT - they're obviously smarter than the lot that's arguing in front of them.

On the one hand people are going hungry because of demonetisation. On the other hand people are throwing food on the road and making it inedible. I don't agree with demonetisation myself, but is this the way to deal with a crisis? Can we not come to each other's aid in this time of need?

Is monetary value the only value we assign to things any more? If I have something that is of value to others, but of no value to me, should I throw it in the trash or give it to people who need it?

Ah well. It's not like I haven't thrown perfectly edible food in the trash before.

Oh yes oh yes oh yes.

No more having to move money from cards to wallets and then to services like Uber.

Super hero meets robot nemesis. Both end up laughing and becoming good friends.

Super hero meets robot nemesis. Both end up laughing and becoming good friends.

Apparently we have a gun problem of our own. "Celebratory firing" it seems - what a wonderful euphemism.

Does anybody know what the deal with SIFFCY is? A children's film festival that runs on weekday mornings?

This is the most beautiful Dastan I have ever heard. Please take the time and visit on the 9th. @[1005490575:2048:Ankit] is telling these stories straight from his heart.

The exhibition and sale are also very nicely put together. Some of the art installations at the exhibition captured the interest of my little children also. This will be a Friday well spent for your entire family.

More Living Lightly

What a wonderful event. I'm blown away by the simple beauty of it. These lovely people have built an endearing community and school.

Kavin randomly wakes up to remind me that we had lovely fresh carrots and radishes and turnips outside the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary once.

He wants that right now.

Now we are both hungry and unhappy.

Please attend. This is the most magical celebration of life that I have ever experienced in Delhi.

We South Asians must be the pettiest people in the world. Always fighting over the silliest of reasons.

(PS: Chrome recommended I change pettiest to prettiest. Sure, that too.)

Is amazon.com just a front, an elaborate test case for building the most comprehensive platform ever - AWS.

This event, Living Lightly, is simply amazing. The people it covers, pastoralists (मालधारी), are an integral part of the event. You can experience how contemporary Indian nomads live and dress, what they eat, and how they carry out their lives. You can buy products from Ladakh, Kutch, every part of India. The presentations are very tastefully put together, as is evident from my (hastily taken) photos. Please come. And bring your children. There is an exhibition of photos taken by children, that is astounding. They have photographed how a calf is born, for example. And of course, Dastangoi, the icing on the cake.

What is Buzz Aldrin doing at the South Pole?

Being awesome, most likely.

I also want to launch my own currency. Why should government bodies have all the fun?

This is so beautiful and true. Why have we confined education within the four walls of a school? Here in Delhi, a number of public funded museums and institutions lie empty during weekdays. The millions of students who pass through Delhi/NCRs schools, all must learn about the famous dancing girl statue. But how many have visited the National Museum and seen it? The private schools are very well funded and even have their own buses. Parents are happy to volunteer. When logistics is not a challenge, why aren't our children stepping out and learning from the world more often.

I know some of these institutions are neglected. But would you put your heart and soul into maintaining something that no one comes to look?

I'm glad someone else made the same connection as me :-)

Or they can eat cabbage all day.

A Bhopali filed this petition. He wanted the practice abolished it seems. Looks like now it is mandatory for everyone. Trust Bhopalis to always screw things up for others ;)

Bipin Preet Singh, Mrinal Sinha, good job. The need of the hour.

Tharanath, the kids loved the buttons with all their heart. They look forward to meeting you soon.