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Vettel praises last-minute set-up changes

Sebastian Vettel said that last minute changes to his car enabled him to take pole position in China




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F1 paddock worried about leaving Shanghai

As the European air chaos continues due to the Icelandic volcano cloud, Lotus has booked its entire race team on flights to Malaysia




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Superb Button excels in the wet

Jenson Button secured a superb win in the wet at the Chinese Grand Prix, and with team-mate Lewis Hamilton taking second, it completed an excellent weekend for the McLarens




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Button hails best-ever win

Jenson Button described his win in the Chinese Grand Prix win as the best of his career




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'Stop moaning about Hamilton' - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone has told Lewis Hamilton's rivals to "stop moaning" about the on-track tactics of the 2008 world champion




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China confident about extending GP contract

The Chinese Grand Prix appears to be edging closer to an extension of its contract with Bernie Ecclestone




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How surveillance technology powered South Korea’s COVID-19 response

South Korea has been widely praised for its use of technology in containing the coronavirus, and that praise has, at times, generated a sense of mystique, suggesting that Korea has developed sophisticated new tools for tracing and stopping the outbreak. But the truth is far simpler. The tools deployed by Korean authorities are readily available…

       




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Encrypted messaging apps are the future of propaganda

In recent years, propaganda campaigns utilizing disinformation and spread on encrypted messaging applications (EMAs) have contributed to rising levels of offline violence in a variety of countries worldwide: Brazil, India, Mexico, Myanmar, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Venezuela. EMAs are quickly becoming the preferred medium for complex and covert propaganda campaigns in…

       




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Women’s work boosts middle class incomes but creates a family time squeeze that needs to be eased

In the early part of the 20th century, women sought and gained many legal rights, including the right to vote as part of the 19th Amendment. Their entry into the workforce, into occupations previously reserved for men, and into the social and political life of the nation should be celebrated. The biggest remaining challenge is…

       




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Putting women and girls’ safety first in Africa’s response to COVID-19

Women and girls in Africa are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Although preliminary evidence from China, Italy, and New York shows that men are at higher risk of contraction and death from the disease—more than 58 percent of COVID-19 patients were men, and they had an…

       




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Creating Subnational Climate Institutions in China

This discussion paper (available in English and Chinese) describes the evolution of decentralization over the reform period that began in China in 1978, different theories of institutional change in China, and how the empirical and theoretical literatures help scholars and policymakers understand the development of institutions for governing GHG-emitting activities.




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The Value of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration

Growing concern around climate change has ignited recent interest in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and generated a series of studies on its global market potential.




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Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson Outlines Ways Organizations are Changing in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Climate Change in New Edition of "Environmental Insights"

Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program," a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Listen to the interview here.




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Creating Subnational Climate Institutions in China

This discussion paper (available in English and Chinese) describes the evolution of decentralization over the reform period that began in China in 1978, different theories of institutional change in China, and how the empirical and theoretical literatures help scholars and policymakers understand the development of institutions for governing GHG-emitting activities.




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The Value of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration

Growing concern around climate change has ignited recent interest in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and generated a series of studies on its global market potential.




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Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson Outlines Ways Organizations are Changing in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Climate Change in New Edition of "Environmental Insights"

Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program," a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Listen to the interview here.




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Hulkenberg to debut Force India's VJM08 on Friday

Force India plans to debut its 2015 challenger on Friday afternoon in Barcelona, with Nico Hulkenberg scheduled to be behind the wheel




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Force India finally debuts 2015 challenger

Force India's 2015 challenger made its long-awaited debut in Barcelona on Friday, only for it to suffer a left rear puncture during Nico Hulkenberg's first lap




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The Future of Europe is Being Decided Now

Given the ravages of the coronavirus crisis, the future of Europe cannot be one of permanent division between its northern and southern states.




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Oil Markets Provide a Glimpse of the Post-Pandemic Future

Henry Kissinger warns that many existing domestic and international institutions that have helped govern the past decades will not survive the Covid-19 crisis. He is surely correct.




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Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson Outlines Ways Organizations are Changing in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Climate Change in New Edition of "Environmental Insights"

Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program," a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Listen to the interview here.




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Carmen Reinhart Says Argentina’s Debt Workout Won’t Be Its Last

Argentina’s latest effort to restructure its overseas debt probably won’t be its last, according to Harvard University economist Carmen Reinhart, who has sounded alarms over coming emerging markets crises in Venezuela and Turkey.




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Button looking to capitalise on slow Red Bull starts

Jenson Button is looking to capitalise on Red Bull's slow starts to move through the field at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix and fight for a podium




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Massa to take new engine without penalty

Felipe Massa will use a brand new engine at the Singapore Grand Prix, in the knowledge that a 10-place penalty will have no effect on him as he will start from the back of the grid




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Button pins title hopes on Suzuka upgrade

Jenson Button is pinning his championship hopes on an upgrade at the Japanese Grand Prix after he finished fourth in Singapore and fell further behind Mark Webber in the standings




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Sutil and Hulkenberg hit with 20-second penalty

Adrian Sutil was hit with a 20-second penalty for going round the outside of Turn 7 on the opening lap of the Singapore Grand Prix




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2014 upheaval was crucial for Ferrari future - Allison

Ferrari technical director James Allison says the sweeping changes made to Ferrari over the winter are making it stronger every month following the team's first victory since May 2013 on Sunday




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Creating Subnational Climate Institutions in China

This discussion paper (available in English and Chinese) describes the evolution of decentralization over the reform period that began in China in 1978, different theories of institutional change in China, and how the empirical and theoretical literatures help scholars and policymakers understand the development of institutions for governing GHG-emitting activities.




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The Value of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration

Growing concern around climate change has ignited recent interest in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and generated a series of studies on its global market potential.




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Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson Outlines Ways Organizations are Changing in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Climate Change in New Edition of "Environmental Insights"

Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program," a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Listen to the interview here.




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The battle of 'resistance' vs 'revolution' in the Middle East

The events surrounding the US assassination of Iranian Quds Force leader Major General Qassem Soleimani brought to the surface the two main ideological forces that now battle each other across the Middle East - the anti-imperial "resistance" of Iran and its Arab allies, and the freedom "revolution" of domestic protesters in the same lands. 




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H-Diplo Review Essay 192 on Lawson. Anatomies of Revolution

Emily Whalen reviews Anatomies of Revolution by George Lawson (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019).




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Grow Up About Dictators, America!

The U.S. Democratic primary has exposed an obsession with morality when it comes to foreign policy that is harmful to strategic and moral objectives alike, Stephen M. Walt writes.




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The Future of the Transatlantic Defense Relationship: Views from Finland and the EU

February 7, 2020: With the advent of the digital age and the rise of Russia and China as global powers, the EU must do more to defend itself and its relationship with the United States, according to Janne Kuusela, Director General Janne Kuusela. In an event moderated by  Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, Executive Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship he explained why Finland could be a potential paradigm for the EU’s defense strategy. 

 




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Accumulating Evidence Using Crowdsourcing and Machine Learning: A Living Bibliography about Existential Risk and Global Catastrophic Risk

The study of existential risk — the risk of human extinction or the collapse of human civilization — has only recently emerged as an integrated field of research, and yet an overwhelming volume of relevant research has already been published. To provide an evidence base for policy and risk analysis, this research should be systematically reviewed. In a systematic review, one of many time-consuming tasks is to read the titles and abstracts of research publications, to see if they meet the inclusion criteria. The authors show how this task can be shared between multiple people (using crowdsourcing) and partially automated (using machine learning), as methods of handling an overwhelming volume of research.




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Budapest Memorandum at 25: Between Past and Future

On December 5, 1994, leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation met in Budapest, Hungary, to pledge security assurances to Ukraine in connection with its accession to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear-weapons state. The signature of the so-called Budapest Memorandum concluded arduous negotiations that resulted in Ukraine’s agreement to relinquish the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal, which the country inherited from the collapsed Soviet Union, and transfer all nuclear warheads to Russia for dismantlement. The signatories of the memorandum pledged to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability of its borders, and to refrain from the use or threat of military force. Russia breached these commitments with its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and aggression in eastern Ukraine, bringing the meaning and value of security assurance pledged in the Memorandum under renewed scrutiny.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the memorandum’s signature, the Project on Managing the Atom at the Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, with the support of the Center for U.S.-Ukrainian Relations and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, hosted a conference to revisit the history of the Budapest Memorandum, consider the repercussions of its violation for international security and the broader nonproliferation regime, and draw lessons for the future. The conference brought together academics, practitioners, and experts who have contributed to developing U.S. policy toward post-Soviet nuclear disarmament, participated in the negotiations of the Budapest Memorandum, and dealt with the repercussions of its breach in 2014. The conference highlighted five key lessons learned from the experience of Ukraine’s disarmament, highlighted at the conference.




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Poll: What the American Public Likes and Hates about Trump's Nuclear Policies

The authors conducted a study which highlights how the U.S. public as a whole and various demographic groups view President Donald Trump's positions on nuclear weapons.




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Button just edges out Vettel in final practice

Jenson Button just beat Sebastian Vettel to the fastest time of the final practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix by 0.057s, while Vettel's championship contender Fernando Alonso finished down in eighth




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My rise as a refugee girl: Why I’m giving back to girls in South Sudan

Being born and growing up in Ibuga refugee camp in Western Uganda, I had never felt the sweetness of my home country nor even what it looked like. As a young girl, I thought the camp was my country, only to learn that it was not. Rather, when I was 8 years old, I learned…

       




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Africa in the news: Nagy visits Africa, locust outbreak threatens East Africa, and Burundi update

Security and youth top agenda during US Assistant Secretary of State Nagy’s visit to Africa On January 15, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy headed to Africa for a six-nation tour that included stops in the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Somalia. Security was on the top of the agenda…

       




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Africa in the news: Updates on Togo, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, and health challenges

Guinea-Bissau and TOGO election updates Leadership in Guinea-Bissau remains unclear as the results of the December 29 runoff presidential election are being challenged in the country’s supreme court. Late last month, the country’s National Election Commission declared former Prime Minister Umaro Sissoco Embalo of the Movement of Democratic Change the winner with about 54 percent…

       




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Vettel edges out Button in FP3

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of final practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix as the weather stayed dry ahead of qualifying




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A chance for citizens to shape the city’s future, let’s not waste it: A Bengalurean’s appeal

Civic issues
Citizens can now join ward committees to work with the BBMP and local Corporators to make sure your neighbourhood develops the right way.
Representational Image
By Srinivas Alavilli Bengalureans, did you notice that someone fixed that black spot on your way to work and it now looks nice with a little bench and simple art that makes the place walkable and pleasant on the eyes? Did you come across pictures on social media of people sweating it out and cleaning lakes on a Sunday morning? Do you know someone that teaches and helps out in the local government school? Did you notice there was a massive protest to save trees on Jayamahal Road and a thousand people got on the streets? Did you know local residents were filing RTIs, writing letters, and meeting officials behind the scenes before it became a protest? Did you notice that right now there is a group of concerned citizens trying to save trees in the compound of the Queens Road veterinary hospital? Have you met the senior citizen in your park who takes care of composting and upkeep of the park on a daily basis to keep it a happy place for local residents? Did you ever sit in a small meeting along with your neighbors to learn about waste segregation at source from fellow citizens that are working with BBMP to keep our city clean? Do you know, every day, in some place or the other in our city, a group of citizens are getting involved locally, in one way or another, and making a difference to their neighborhood that they can see and feel? Did you wonder how 8,000 people gathered in one place for the human chain in support of the ‘Steel Flyover Beda’ campaign? Did you know that much before the steel flyover, people got together and stopped wasteful projects in Koramangala and elsewhere? The people that do this are just like you and me – regular people with jobs and other responsibilities. They have come to the realisation that talk is cheap, and actions speak louder. These people – who partner with their local Corporator and the Health Inspector (to bring the truck when the cleanup is done) and work closely with various city agencies are indeed an asset to our city. Does it bother you that the system is so broken that people need to get involved in getting simple things done while there is an elected body that runs the city and has an annual budget of Rs 9,000 crores and all the resources in terms of personnel and equipment? Do you feel that the good work citizens do must be scaled up because our city is huge with 1.2 crore population? In my travels over a decade in this city I have come across hundreds of people that are committed and passionate and bring their professional expertise to learn about things like composting and rain water harvesting. I am often amazed at the level of understanding ordinary citizens have about mobility, road design, city planning and the laws that govern it. Does it not make sense for these every day unsung heroes to become part of the ward committees of BBMP? Do you find yourself asking, "What is this ward committee?". Here is the simple answer: a ward committee is a group of 10 residents of a ward that works with the Corporator and the corporation (BBMP) for the betterment of the ward. They have monthly meetings with the Corporator and officials and review projects and give feedback on behalf of people of that ward. Their presence in ward committees will go a long way in making the right decisions for the ward and in bridging the gap and building trust between the government and the citizen. We request you to think of all those people and nominate them to get on ward committees. Most of these people are reluctant warriors and shun the spotlight. But it is time we publicly acknowledge their work and ask them to be formally engaged when there is an opportunity that is built into our law but never gets implemented. We request you to spread the word so more people are aware that there is such a thing called the Ward Committee and now is open for active citizen participation. We have more than 850 nominations so far. But our city has 198 wards which means we need 1880 members! We invite you to do your bit in strengthening our local government which in fact is the government we see and experience every day. Nominate people here: http://bit.ly/cfbwcnominate Or submit applications before 5pm Friday, 16 June, at the BBMP Head Office. http://bit.ly/cfbwcjun16 (This blog was first published on the Facebook page Citizens for Bengaluru and has been republished with permission from the author.) 




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From 'chutzpah' to being branded 'cheats': A let-down Aussie cricket fan writes

Sport
An Australian team cheated and I will never forgive those involved for tainting, what was a way of life for me.
Steve Smith
Aditya CS Back in 1993, playing cricket for me meant hitting a plastic ball with a plastic bat. I was all of 4 then. Over the next three years, I played cricket with a rubber ball and a wooden bat while trying to emulate Sachin Tendulkar, much like most other Indian kids at the time. These were my first memories of cricket and Sachin was the only cricketer I knew. Then came the 1996 World Cup, the year I turned 7 years old and put up a poster of Sachin from Sportstar magazine in my room. This was also my last act as a fan of Indian cricket. During the 1996 World Cup, all I could understand was that Sri Lanka had gone on to win the World Cup and it was a big deal. But the thing that stood out from the tournament was watching these chaps in yellow kits play. Guys who played differently. I enjoyed watching them play in spite of not knowing why. I experienced disappointment as a cricket fan for the first time when Damien Fleming dropped Asanka Gurusinha off Mark Waugh's bowling in the finals and the second time when Paul Reiffel dropped Aravinda DeSilva in the same game. The World Cup was lost but since then I always wanted to watch the Aussies play. Cricket for me was not just about Sachin or playing with my friends anymore. It was about the guys in yellow who stood out for some reason for a 7-year-old kid from Chennai.  Before I knew it, I had become an Aussie fan. Eventually, I realised why I had become one. These guys were tough competitors. They never gave up. They were quicker and stronger than most other teams. They produced some of the best pacers the game has ever seen and pace bowling is still my favourite facet of this lovely sport. Their leg spinner was a legend in the making. Over the next three years I had a Shane Warne poster, an autographed photo of Warnie, a picture of the Waugh brothers and one of Ian Healy, alongside my poster of Sachin. By the time the 1999 World Cup started, I knew that the Aussies were a special team. They played a different brand of cricket. Brash, competitive, energetic, taking charge of the game, converting ones to twos, taking blinding catches, converting half chances and most importantly they did it all with aggression! I started playing sport like them, only to become an outcast in South India where humility is a characteristic one is expected to possess even in a boxing bout. The times when I served an ace in a game of tennis and followed it up with a smirk or engaged opponents in banter on the basketball court, I knew it was only adding to my 'bad boy' image. But I didn't care much like my heroes who played cricket for Australia. Despite being the bad guys, they were winning by stamping their authority on the sport. Though I wasn't much of a sporting success, I believed their approach was one that lets you take charge of things. Hook the bouncers, take them on, dive to take a catch, go for the direct hits and trust your teammates to back up your throw. And when you have the cherry in your hand, hit them with bouncers, say things that would put them off and get them out. Once the game is over, invite the opposition for a beer to your team's dressing room. This was the 'Aussie way'. The 'in your face' approach was working for them. Between 1997 and 2007, some of the most exciting cricketers to have played for Australia emerged. Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds to name a few. These 10 years were also my formative years (from the age of 8 to 18) - a period during which I copped a lot of criticism because I was an Aussie fan. Be it at school, playgrounds or anywhere I went, I would always gloat when Australia won a game and rub it in the faces of those (pretty much everyone around me) who were cheering for India. After games, some Indian fans would go on to condemn the very players they had put on a pedestal before the game and in some parts of the country, fans would even resort to vandalism. But I stood by my team (the Aussies) through thick and thin because every Aussie fan was certain that their team would bounce back soon after a defeat. While India was bleeding blue I was bleeding yellow. I had been labelled an anti-national much before it became mainstream. I would root for Leander Paes at the Chennai Open as he, like the Aussies, was possessed with a never-say-die spirit. People who could not differentiate between sport and patriotism were asking me to go to Australia. I never really gave two hoots and continued being an Aussie fan, come what may! Even when I heard people from earlier generations talk about cricketing greats from yesteryears, the stories about Lillie (Dennis Lillee) and Thommo (Jeff Thomson) always had something about them that was missing in the narrative about the great Windies or that of Gavaskar standing up to defend a bouncer and make the ball fall in front of his feet. It was the chutzpah that was missing! It took me 11 years to understand why these guys in yellow stood out, back in 1996. Good old chutzpah! During their decade of dominance from 1997 to 2007, they lost an Ashes series in 2005, a couple of series’ against India and weren't dominating the T20 format but there was no doubt that they were the best team of the decade. They won three consecutive World Cups during this time. From 2007 onwards however, I had my fair share of disappointments. Teams had proved that the Aussies were no longer invincible and could be beaten. They were not the same formidable force anymore. But I was still an Aussie fan. I did not give up on my favourite cricket team. In 2011, India beat Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals. That was perhaps one of the worst days of my life. Friends from school, college, my neighbourhood, colleagues vented out years of pent up frustration of having to listen to me sledge them every time Australia beat India. It was my turn to cop some and I did it just the way the Aussies would. I answered every phone call and replied to every text saying 'wait till 2015'. I did not shy away from it.   Even though 2011-2013 saw an up and down patch, I still did not give up supporting the Kangaroos. Then came Mitchell Johnson in 2013 and along with Michael Clarke's batting prowess, I was back to my obnoxious best. And in the 2015 World Cup semi-finals, Australia beat India and went on to win the tournament and it felt like normalcy had been restored. There were many controversies the Australians found themselves mired in. There were allegations that they sledged, they were bullies, they don't walk (well no batsman ever did except Gilchrist) and I would defend them tooth and nail because I did not see anything wrong with bouncing a batsman or getting in his face and claiming a wicket. It was fine, they played tough and it worked for them. In 2003, Warne failed a dope test and I was sure that it was not to gain an unfair advantage. Ponting claimed a catch that hit the ground in 2007 and still I believed that they were not trying to cheat. Australians wouldn't cheat. They will bounce you, sledge you, bully you, stare and glare at umpires but wouldn't cheat. The belief was so strong that when Indian cricket was recovering from a match fixing scandal in 2001, the likes of Sachin, Dravid, Kumble and Sourav said what Indian cricket needed the most at that time was a series against Australia to restore the faith of Indian cricket fans. They needed to play a side that respected the sport and would give every game their all. A side that you know wouldn't think of losing at any cost. And most of all a side that loved the game of cricket. And boy, what a series that was! Indian cricket fans believed in their team once again. Yes they belonged to the other camp but I was happy for them. This is what I loved about the way Aussies played cricket. More than two decades of Australian cricket has been a part of my life and remains an influence on me, the way I looked at things, the way I faced situations head-on, the “never-say-die” attitude that was instilled in me during my formative years. But today I feel let down. I have nothing to say. I still can't believe what has happened. It still hasn't sunk in. An Australian team tampering with the ball. They cheated and they planned to do it. I feel sick in my stomach. I am swamped with thoughts of how the Aussie greats would be feeling. The guys who were my childhood heroes. Gilly, Warnie, Brett Lee, Steve Waugh. Guys I idolised. I wanted to live my life the way they played cricket. It's more than just being a fan or guzzling a few beers after winning an Ashes series. The way the Aussies played cricket, established a way of life for me. Brash? Yes. Obnoxious? Maybe. Arrogant? Perhaps. Tough? Definitely. Cheat? Never! Today Smith and his team have sinned. This is not something an Aussie side can ever do. Smith described his first reckless on-field mistake as a ’brain fade’ in Bengaluru last year and I felt uneasy then but still chose to believe, it was an error while using a relatively new provision in the game. But today it's carved in stone. An Australian team cheated and I will never forgive those involved for tainting, what was a way of life for me. For taking away from me my favourite retort to those who asked me, "Aren't you being a bit too aggressive/harsh/arrogant/abrasive?" by saying, "Perhaps I am, but that's also how the Aussies play their cricket.”  Because from this day on, using that retort could also mean I have been cheating.




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What growing up with a sports-obsessed mother taught me about life and learning

Blog
While Amma is passionate about sports, Appa just cannot understand what the hype is all about. But she has allies in my sister and me.
Amma looking at the Football World Cup schedule pasted on the door.
It was June 9, 1990. Cameroon had done the unthinkable. They had defeated World Cup champions Argentina, led by the great Diego Maradona. Two images remain engraved in my memory forever. One that was playing on the television - Claudio Caniggia brought down by Benjamin Massing, which also meant the end of my footballing hero Maradona’s career. Another was playing at home the tension between Amma and Appa. Appa believed that sports were another form of entertainment (now that I think of it he was so right!!). He ardently believed that it makes us unproductive. He simply could not understand the 'adrenaline rush' that is associated with sports. And, on the other hand, Amma loved sports and learned to appreciate games like cricket, football and tennis by observing and listening to the commentary. She loved Sunil Gavaskar, Maradona and Martina Navratilova. Appa, whose sleep was broken by the commotion, was surprised to see his son crying, but was aghast to see his otherwise stoic wife heartbroken for an alien sport and for a faraway country, Argentina. I will never forget his reaction all my life. Amma, Meenakshi, born in Coimbatore, was born in a middle-class Tamil family. She was a promising student; however, economic conditions and the general apathy towards girl children’s education means she did not study beyond Class 10. But that did not stop her from learning. Binaca Geetmala and Ameen Sayani were her windows to Bollywood. After her marriage, radio commentary became her medium to fall in love with cricket. The Football World Cup and Wimbledon television telecast helped her fall in love with more 'alien' sports like tennis and football. The fact that her husband was not attracted to sports meant that she learned about the game by meticulously watching the proceedings and listening to the commentary closely. She would follow it up by reading about it in the newspaper or a sports magazine. She often tells me how she struggled to understand the idea of a deuce and advantage in tennis as she was not aware of the existence of a word ‘deuce’. It took her a great bit of persistent observation to decipher this unique format in tennis to break a tie.   Amma at the Centre Court in Wimbledon. At times her battle was lonely as not many in the family had similar likings as her. It was not until my sister and I grew up that she found someone to share her passion for sports with. It is with extreme doggedness that she seeks to learn new things. Years later we went to see Wimbledon; we saw a game at the Centre Court. She was as excited as a child when we got tickets for the London Olympics. I had promised her a trip to Europe and asked her to select the places of her choice. She chose Switzerland (her love for Bollywood, I guess), Paris and then she asked me if we could watch a football match at Camp Nou. She wanted to see her favourite Lionel Messi play. Amma and the author at the London Olympics. This year, I am home in Coimbatore for the Football World Cup. Amma has meticulously updated her knowledge about the teams (Panama and Iceland playing their first World Cup) and had stuck the schedule of the tournament on the door.   I ask her who should win. Amma says, "I want Messi to win, a player of his calibre needs a cup to sign off. A bit like Tendulkar needed a cup before he retired." How could I argue with her? Nothing has changed - her spirit, her keenness to learn and her strong opinion. I remember she always made coffee for me during the late-night games. I told her to take a nap for I can wake her up and make coffee for her; after all, I can do this bit for the lady who taught me to observe, learn, and keep learning. She is still a child, and I am holding on to the one in me. SS Venkateswaran returned to India after an 8-year stint in the UK. Before moving to Bengaluru, he will watch the Football World Cup 2018 with his Amma in Coimbatore.




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Of sunrise service and eating vivika: Memories of a south Indian Easter

Easter
Easter breakfast was special - it was the first meal with non-vegetarian food in a while.
Easter - the Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ - is this Sunday. This year, thousands of Christians will be observing it from their homes, following their church’s online services on their phones or computers. When I was a boy in Coimbatore, many many moons ago, Easter meant being rousted out of bed at the unholy hour of 4 AM to get ready to go to church for the sunrise service. For my brother and me, getting to the 8 AM service every Sunday was in itself quite an achievement. But, growing up in a south Indian Christian household, we didn’t really have a choice. So, on Easter day, we were woken up, bathed, dressed in new clothes and turned out shiny and clean so we could fall asleep in the pews of the church that had been moved outdoors while the service happened. As we grew older, we learnt to experience the novelty of participating in a service outdoors, instead of within the confines of the ancient stone church. The pews faced East and the service began before sunrise. There would be a nip in the air when the service began. As the service progressed, the sun would rise from behind the altar, bathing the whole setting in a golden glow. Of course, the golden glow turned hot quite quickly - we said our prayers a bit quicker, and sang the hymns a bit faster, so that we ended the service and retreated to the relative cool in the shade of the church gardens. There we would have coffee and biscuits and Easter conversations. We greeted each other with the words, “Christ is Risen” and responded with the words, “Risen indeed.” It was great fun for us - once a year we got to go to church out in the open, and then we got to go around greeting everyone there, rather like spies in the novels we read! After the service, we would head as a family to the nearest bakery, where we would buy Easter Eggs. The size of your palm, these were made of hard white cast sugar with fondant icing. The outside would be decorated with flowers and bows in icing, and when we broke into them, there would be a treasure of chocolates to be discovered. Needless to say, the eggs were often bones of contention between my brother and me - one of us would finish his quicker, and would then have to watch the other savour his egg and chocolates with deliberate slowness. Clearly, we did not get the message of the season, which was that Jesus had died and risen again to save us from our sins, and maybe we could treat each other slightly better because of that. Easter comes at the end of the Holy Week. The Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we would all hold palm leaves and circumambulate (walk around) the church singing hymns to commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus predicts his betrayal and death. This is particularly important, as it also is where the sacred sacrament of communion originates. In short, the practice of consuming bread and wine as ‘communion’ in the Christian faith has its origin in the Last Supper. The Good Friday service was a long one commemorating the actual crucifixion. It was in the early evening and was a sombre affair that often ran into hours. The one thing I remember vividly about Good Friday was buying hot cross buns from the bakery and munching on them on the way home. There wasn’t much different about them - they were regular buns with a cross made of dough tacked on to them, but just the fact that they were called hot cross buns made them special! Easter also signaled the end of Lent, the 40 days of self-denial practised by Christians. For us, Lent was a time during which we gave up eating non-vegetarian food. This was a real sacrifice as our usual diet included a significant amount of chicken, meat and fish. Easter breakfast was special - it was the first meal with non-vegetarian food in a while. At our place, it was usually a sweet idli called vivika made of rice flour, bananas, raisins and sweet spices, accompanied by a savoury mutton curry. At the end of 40 days of no chicken, meat or fish - this was a sweet, sweet return to our normal, predominantly carnivorous culinary lifestyle. This year, it’s going to be different. I cannot think of a single year when my parents have missed going to church for Easter. One of the fundamentals of Christian worship is fellowship - worshiping with your fellow believers, and that is brought alive especially on festival days. This year, the service will be in an empty church, streamed live. The worshipers, my parents among them, will be attending from home. Happy Easter!  Navin Sigamany is a Hyderabad-based photographer and heritage enthusiast who writes on food and culture.  
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