05 March,2024 06:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Anurag Ahire
Two men and woman study a chessboard intently as they engage in a game on a footpath in Fort.
Participants at the Skateathon (right) a young skater poses for a picture with her medal after completing the marathon. PICS/AMOGH GOLATKAR
Children in Juhu had a whale (or should we say, wheel) of a time last Sunday on World Hearing Day; they zipped across its lanes on their skates as part of the city's first edition of Skateathon. The event was a part of The Sports Gurukul's Schoolathon, in association with Josh Foundation. "Schoolathon is an annual marathon targeting families to come together to be fit. This time, we aimed to spread awareness about how young people are losing hearing abilities," shared Jay Shah, co-founder of The Sport Gurukul. There were 1,300 participants registered through The Skates Academy, including over 300 with hearing impairments. The event also experimented with technology. "We used tech-enabled time chips, usually used in [running] marathons, to record the pace and speed of the participants. It required extra effort, but was a success," he added.
A wild crocodile rescued by Sharma
For Pawan Sharma (inset), founder, Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare, World Wildlife Day is his cue to look back on the highlights of his career in urban wildlife conservation. Sharma, who has been working with the Sanjay Gandhi National Park for 16 years now, recounted the city's most intriguing rescue stories at the park.
"I still remember the first leopard I tended to and the first 12-ft long crocodile that we recused with the team in 2015," Sharma shared with this diarist, adding that while such anecdotes might make rescue volunteering sound like risky business, the truth is that there are more ways than one to contribute to the efforts. "From being a part of the operations, to helping with design and communication, urban wildlife conservation is a community effort, and I'm excited to see young faces join the community," he concluded.
Tibetan poet and activist Tenzin Tsundue (inset) believes Indian academicians need to look one step beyond the Himalayas to open the country's eyes to life in Tibet. To commemorate the 65th Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10, the Himachal Pradesh-based poet will make his way to Mumbai to deliver a speech at a Bandra library. "The Tibetan community in Mumbai is tiny. Most young Tibetans have migrated for jobs. However, it's not the number, but the fire in our hearts that counts," he shared. Organised by city-based community Friends of Tibet, the day will conclude with the screening of a documentary about the Dalai Lama's escape to India in 1969.
Mitchell Theaker and Desiree Bradford (right) Welsh cakes
Ever heard of a Welsh cake? Neither had city-based baker Desiree Bradford when she was approached by Mitchell Theaker, head of India for the Welsh government to recreate the traditional delicacy on St David's Day on March 1. "Theaker showed me his grandmother's recipe, and asked if we could recreate it. It was my first time making one, but with his feedback and assistance, we pulled it off," she shared. Bradford added that they also took the cakes out for a taste test on the streets of Mumbai. "The cakes have a peculiar consistency. They're somewhere between a pancake and a cookie. Thankfully, they all loved it," she assured us.
An artwork from the collection
Artist Sanjay Bhattacharya (below), best known for his portraits of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his realistic portrayal of Kolkata, is coming to Mumbai with his new works, Moving Geometry. The collection reflects an interplay of geometric forms and is on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery in association with Gallery Nvya. "All our emotions take geometrical shapes. Tension becomes a triangle; concentration becomes a dot; and so on. I allowed these forms and patterns to dominate my canvases, and the end result is the collection," he told this diarist.
