The Internet Personified: He doesn't look a thing like Jesus

I have finally found a to-do method that works for me, and that is the insane bullet journal. Basically, you take an empty notebook and you have a "key" right? Like little squares for tasks, circles for events and space to write "notes" or "thoughts" or whatever. Now, I have a major writing project going on at the moment (nothing I can talk about yet, but MAJOR) so all my entries read basically "write" and "write some more" and "OMG JUST PLEASE FINISH IT." So, in order to feel less depressed about the mountain of work I have to do, I've started to add little things like "do the laundry" or "wash hair." (That last one actually needs to be scheduled, because in this weather, I have to time my hair washing right. It has to be in the first half of the day, or else my hair just doesn't dry. And blow dryers + curly hair = major frizz.) Anyway, all my household tasks are getting done every time I take a break from writing. Procrasti-nesting. Also procrasti-baking. It's very old school, writing things down in an actual notebook, but it helps. I find it too easy to ignore a phone memo that pops up. (If you're a phone type, I suggest Any.do, which not only helps organise, but also takes notes of your missed calls and you can put a memo in saying "call back" or whatever.)

As a result of all this writing, the newsletter this week is v brief. Apologies.

This week in food and drink: We were taken out to Tres for our friend Eric's birthday, and everything was lovely. I had a nice steak, and some very nice wine and even nicer bread. I don't know why we all don't go to Tres more often. ("But M, it's expensive!" you say and I counter, "Not more expensive than a lot of places we go to.") (Delhi is a pricey city, you guys, and it's probably best for my dwindling finances that we're going off to Goa in a few weeks.)

This week in Goa: Newer readers might not know that we've rented an actual home in Goa, but yes, we have! It needed a LOT of work, so lucky for us, we also have a Goa roommate who has a good handle on things. As we speak today, the internet will probably be installed. (I say, "probably" because this IS Goa after all) and I think a mattress has arrived for our bed, so basically, I'm good. My creature comforts are good. I bought a bunch of seeds for our Delhi terrace garden and am taking whatever's left in the packets with me for our OTHER garden so we have a lot of our herbs and veggies ready. (Will probably take more than a month for any results, but at least they'll be there.) I'm very excited to leave, but also I have major travel inertia, which sets in when I'm somewhere for longer than a month, which basically means if I didn't have a pre-booked ticket, I'd totally be like, "UGHHH DON'T WANT TO MOOOOOOVE." Does this happen to any of you?

This week in demonetisation: Still surviving on a card and no cash at all. Except we've had to pay parking charges for 80 bucks each time, so that's two precious hundred rupee notes gone. Mostly I think people are in favour of the ACT itself, except not how it's been carried out. Anyway, I decided to group all the news I've been reading re: demonetisation in one bunch: In Caravan, a reporter talks about how he was intimidated and threatened with the police just because he recorded a scuffle. ** In the Hindustan Times, a story across Delhi neighbourhoods as people wait for cash. ** Again at the HT, the reporter is no longer sure it's a good idea. ** And one more HT, since they're covering this situation better than most, data on how fast new notes are being printed. **

This week in Delhi pollution: No one cares anymore.

And more miscellaneous links: A great speech printed in the Wire about how the media in India has a caste bias. (Can you say "printed" if it's online?) ** Saw journalist Neha Dixit at the last edition of Prose At Toddy, and she was great. It made me look up this piece of hers she read an excerpt from, on love in a Delhi slum. ** Tor is running a series on the women of Harry Potter, so I'm linking to them all: Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione. ** And finally, as a run up to the Gilmore Girls reboot OUT NEXT FRIDAY, here's a lovely Guardian piece on Stars Hollow. **

Have a great week!
xx
m