Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Balancing act

A karate trainer assists one of his students while performing a handstand at Juhu beach

Let the kids rock

A young Hindustani fusion band performs at a previous edition

This diarist's childhood dream was to make it to Jack Black's esteemed School of Rock from the eponymous film. A decade too late, Kids Rock, a city-based initiative is giving young musicians a platform to rock it out as a part of the Kidpreneur Expo, an annual children's expo in the city. "Many kids have taken to music lately and have their own bands at school. The crowd was amused when a young band of Hindustani fusion musicians took stage at our last edition. We aim to give these kids the audience they deserve," Hemali Jain, its co-founder, told this diarist. Those interested, can log on to
@kidprenuer_expo.

Moonlit dates

The calendar uses a Neutraface font inspired by the Art Deco style

City-based cyanotype artist Ruchita Madhok (below) has given the new year a celestial twist with her cyanotype lunar calendar. The single panel calendar imagines each phase of the moon as a bead on 12 strings that represent the months. The end of the string of each month is decorated with an embellishment that has a number of vertices corresponding to the chronological number of the month. "I developed a fascination towards lunar cycles during the lockdown where I'd sit and stare at the Moon everyday sitting on my balcony. I have been working with cyanotype for a long time, and I wanted to challenge myself to make a calendar using the technique," she told this diarist.

Hola, Mumbai!

The interiors of the new restaurant

If your daydreams are made of dipping golden-brown nachos in freshly ground salsa like this diarist, Maiz Mexican Kitchen's new outlet in Lower Parel might be the right spot for you. After six years of serving Mumbaikars through their cloud kitchens across the city, Veer Bhartiya, its founder, inaugurated a swanky dine-in outlet in Lower Parel on Thursday. "Now that we have mastered the delivery kitchen model, it felt like the opportune time to give retail a shot. We are keen to interact with our patrons in a way we never have before. To that end, we have carefully curated a space where friends and family can gather for a wholesome, unforgettable meal," he shared.

How to see the light

Siddhant Shah (in red) decodes Braille using a tool

Concerned citizens from the city got a unique opportunity to spend an evening in the shoes of individuals with visual impairment on the occasion of World Braille Day on January 4 at a city five-star. Bridging Senses: A Braille Experience, organised by Access For ALL, a disability services and support organisation, witnessed participants receive an introduction to Braille followed by activities and games that introduced them to a day in the life of those with impairments.

A blindfolded volunteer navigates her way across the venue

"As part of one of the activities, we blindfolded volunteers and asked them to experience everyday tasks like navigating a room, or serving yourself a plate of food. The day ended with our guests with visual impairment having hearty conversations with the participants about how they can be a better ally," Siddhant Shah, the founder, told this diarist.

Consul's day at the museum

Mike Hankey (extreme right) in conversation with Ruta Waghmare-Baptista

It is always nice to hear of a change of pace in the corridors of power. The Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla had a special guest mid-week when US Consul General Mike Hankey dropped by with his wife, Melissa and their family for a tour. Hankey's visit was primarily to catch the ongoing exhibition History Lab and the Elegy of Visceral Incantations by TV Santhosh. The consul seemed very intrigued by the works. Museum curator Ruta Waghmare-Baptista shared, "He was particularly impressed with the watercolours and sculptural installations by the artist." This might just be the first of more visits to come in 2024, the curator added. "He said that he is looking forward to visiting the main building when it reopens," she revealed.