Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

A friend in need

A couple helps their pet board a speedboat near Gateway of India.

Music to heal the world

For fans of Latin jazz, the arrival of multiple Latin Grammy and Grammy award-winner Eliane Elias (below) is a literal gift. The singer will perform at the NCPA on May 30 as part of her India debut. "In June, I have a new album coming out, titled ‘Time and Again'," Elias shared. Performing alongside her will be Marc Johnson on bass, Leandro Pellegrino on guitar, and Rafael Barata on drums. As an artiste who travels the world while wars rage on, Elias opined, "I love bringing music to audiences, and so I continue touring inspite of what's going on. In every epoch throughout history, there has been danger in some form or another. We have to carry on, and strive to make this a better world."

Mumbai's summer heroes

An artwork inspired by a bangle seller the artist met in Mazgaon (right) An artwork depicts a coconut seller

City-based illustrator Zainab Tambawalla has spent the past six months sketching superheroes. Not the cape-wearing kinds who fly, or spin webs; but these make surviving in the city easier. Titled One Man Show, the ongoing series features hawkers and vendors that dot Mumbai's urban landscape. "These individuals toil in tough conditions to offer their services that all of us have used at some point. However, their contributions are rarely acknowledged," she pointed out, adding that some of the artworks draw inspiration from her own experiences. "The artwork depicting a coconut water seller, for instance, emerged from an afternoon I spent in Walkeshwar, where this vendor was taking a break. I will continue adding to the series as I come across more such heroes," she shared.

Date by the sea

Participants engage in a tug of war battle at a previous edition of the playdate

Playground In, a city-based gymnastics centre, has planned a breezy date by the sea at Juhu Beach on Sunday for city folks. A family-friendly event titled Beach Playdate will witness the sandy shoreline turn into a hub of activities like zip lining, acrobatics, hula-hooping and more. "We will start at 8.30 am after the usual walkers have left. The aim is to inculcate movement with the help of fun activities and music," Ranjay Kumar, its founder, told this diarist. Those interested can log on to @playground_in.

WAH! What an idea

Dr Chetan Solanki with his bus at the ongoing pan-India awareness drive

Dr Chetan Solanki of the Energy Science and Engineering Department at IIT Bombay is making Monday mornings smoother for many like this diarist who dread the early morning chores. Wrinkles Acche Hai (WAH!), a campaign started by the professor, urges citizens to ditch the ironing routine on Mondays in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions. "An electric iron with the power rating of 1,000 watt, used for five to seven minutes, can generate nearly 200 gm of carbon emissions. The numbers might fluctuate, but the idea is to underline the collective change we can bring," Solanki explained over a call from Dehradun, where his ongoing 11-year-long energy conservation drive is making a pitstop. "We're neck-deep in global warming; my aim is to spread the word before it's too late. That takes time. Until then, I'm on unpaid leave from IIT Bombay," he laughed. After the recent implementation of WAH! at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Delhi, Solanki is working on a new campaign, this time for Tuesdays. "I'm thinking along the lines of food consumption. Something like a raw diet every Tuesday can reduce both carbon emissions, and contribute to healthy lifestyles," he concluded.

Walk in an astronaut's shoes

A visitor tries the VR headset on

Today, the Nehru Science Centre (NSC) is set to transform into a portal to the International Space Station (ISS). A Virtual Reality (VR) assisted experience offered by the centre in collaboration with developers, myracle.io, will put participants in charge of the ISS. "The experience includes tasks like navigating the space station, and spacewalking. We tested the experience last month on a limited audience, and they loved it," shared Sumit Chatterjee (inset), curator, NSC. The upcoming session will include an educational workshop that will deep-dive into the world of VR and its usage.