Swoop!
An evening break from exam prep turns into a rare close encounter – a Eurasian sparrowhawk lands metres away to eat its kill in my Amsterdam garden. A hawk, a dove, and goosebumps.
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ArchiMate: Friend or Foe?
Is ArchiMate really used beyond the Netherlands? Does it deliver the traceability and code generation it promised? A skeptic’s verdict: respected, not loved.
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Ronda and Setenil – a Christmas Day escape
Two of Andalusia’s off-beat yet dramatic towns in a day: Ronda’s gorge-spanning Puente Nuevo and white cliffs, and Setenil, its streets tucked under the rock.
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Inconsistent world-building, all characters speak with American idioms
Rebels of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton Book on Amazon | My review on Amazon 2 out of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2025 I started listening to an audio version of this book, this review is about the story, not the audio. Many of the other 2-star reviews here resonate with what I think,…
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Great start but lame ending
Groosham Grange (Groosham Grange 1) by Anthony Horowitz Book on Amazon | My review on Amazon 3 out of 5 stars Reviewed January 7, 2018 This book was prescribed reading for my son’s English class. I picked it up on a whim, and found I couldn’t put it down! Very funny and satirical, it kept…
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Michael – a brilliant sketch of the boy-man
Movie on IMDB Rating: 8 out of 10 It was not a natural choice for me, but I went along as B wanted to watch it. The movie turned out to be beautiful: deeply moving, and for me a whole new insight into the pop star and his life. I love some of Michael Jackson’s…
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Michelangelo
How could I have not catalogued Michelangelo? Re-reading my Italy by train series reminded me of my intense admiration for him.
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Sinhagad, the anchor trek (Pune Region)
We went up Sinhagad countless times. Being the closest non-trivial trek to Pune city, it was the go-to trek, not only for us, but for the whole Puneri trekking community. Pune, being an industrial city, had Thursdays off – so Thursday morning was a popular time for the hardcore trekkers to be there. The more…
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Trek the Sahyadris
From a 1993 internship in Pune to a lifetime love of the Sahyadris – the Western Ghats that ring the city. Treks in all seasons, all weathers, with an inner circle of friends who had rules, standards, and strong opinions about what counted as a real trek.
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Epilogue (Mar 2026)
Mar 2026 Reading through this letter full of memories from ~30 years ago, it’s been great reconnecting with my younger self. Some felt like discoveries, and some had stuck with me through the years and came back enhanced in full color detail. Note to myself now – revisit Italy! Venice without a romantic partner had…
