People were fleeing to areas without water supplies or adequate sanitation
world1 hour ago
Ben/Mr Okri — since that’s what I’m calling him — looks at Mr McGough (I didn’t know then that that’s who he was), and Mr McGough says he’ll go on ahead. Mr Okri, stays behind, and asks for reassurance: “Five seconds?” And I reassure him, run to my bag, fish out his book and am back within eight. He sees the book and looks surprised — pleasantly, to my relief. He asks repeatedly, “…you have a copy of this one?” He sees the dateline and asks: “Where did you get it?” And I catch my breath and say: “Long story, it’ll take longer than five seconds”. But he says no, he wants to hear it. And so I tell him, in all detail: Full Circle (the bookshop), Khan Market, New Delhi, December 2011. I tell him also how the book (my copy of his book) has weathered a few thousand kilometres to reach me, only yesterday, courtesy of a friend who dropped it off only last evening just so I could finally get it signed today. Once earlier, I missed the chance — Jaipur. I tell him that, and I crack a joke and follow it up with another apology, about being badly behaved, and he smiles and says: “No, no it’s unusual,” (or does he say refreshing?), “Please be badly behaved.” And as he opens the page of his/my book to inscribe (with his pen) my name, I ask him to look up — for my camera phone’s eternal archives. I request at the same time to be spared the robotic ‘warm regards’ or ‘best wishes’, but instead I ask him to take a brief considered moment to write me some insta-poetry, and one cycle of Ben Okri for me, grows complete.
People were fleeing to areas without water supplies or adequate sanitation
world1 hour ago
Certain resident juridical persons are exempt from corporate tax
business1 hour ago
New LED bulbs will reduce electricity consumption by 17 per cent, improve visibility for drivers
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Banks in the region have benefited from the increase in US interest rates
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Vaccinations may depend upon your destination, travel duration, planned activities, and individual health profile
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