goa arts and lit fest

this is somewhat late, but i had a blast last Dec at the Goa Arts and Lit Fest - my first time in Goa as well as in India. to say the very least it was a colorful experience, and i took a bit of time to get my bearings in an exceedingly unique and idiosyncratic country. but once i got into the swing of things (and found out where the alcoholics were) everything was fine.

i'd never met prof edwin thumboo in person before the trip, and one would expect a healthy generation gap and all that comes with that - but he was the personification of generosity and friendliness throughout, giving me the chance to read more than my fair share during his panel, and never shying from being a human photo opportunity as the conference guest-of-honor. 

spot the SG books!

isa kamari brings down the house, acappella.

scarily guai students.

prof thumboo reading, surprisingly sentimentally/modernly, about smartphones and deleting the phone numbers of dead friends.

the governor herself, who read entirely in hindi with no translation. and with two military personnel standing in senang diri behind her the entire time.