making the Times of India

My photo is on the headline in the times of India and features prominently inside, for my art opening? NO, for the wine tasting party before the opening, but at least they do mention that I am an artist. Any publicity is publicity, but that's probably not one for my merit package at school. I'm used to being photographed at events as the "foreigner" but the only other time I shared a headline in color was in Ahmedabad and I was between Brittany Spears and Beyonce, this time I'm only competing with a young women and a byline "Rhianna likes it short" my byline is "over a glass of wine". There is a large photo of me inside too, fortunately not after I had too many glasses, they tested about 10 bottles. The opening was great, and Sumeer Gupta the gallery director and wine tasting organizer took us to a wonderful dinner after, we both really enjoy talking "American" and about the Lakers, Bulls, UConn basketball, etc. His cousin, from Mississippi was also at the opening so we had our little American contingent. Today was the first day of the workshop, supposed to start at 11, but the students started to come around 11:30 and we started in earnest around noon, I do need to get used to IST, "India Stretched Time" once again. The students as usual are charming, kind, eager and resectful and I know I"ll enjoy working with them. The day has been cloudy, allowing me a long morning walk on the beach as usually by 8am its too hot to be in the sun. Last evening I had a long leisurly walk into town to my favorite place to eat sittign in a little wooden balcony perched above the town square, the "Vasco de Gama" club which seems to hark back to another century with its slowly revolving fans and laid back decor and a mix of Indians and foreigners and a pool table in the back. A book, some prawn fried rice and gin mixed in a delectable fresh lime soda, how could one want for more. Tonight Hanuman will join me.

in Goa

Goa is insanely hot at this time of year so I've adoped the habit that most sane Indians do of avoiding going out between 9-5 so after this I'm off for a long walk along the Mandovi river which leads to the Arabian Sea and will find a nice place to eat. Its a very safe and charming place to walk around and becuase its so hot by day, the night life goes on into the night. The gallery space that Hanuman and I will show is amazing, run by a young Indian man (with an American accent) who graduated from UPenn and lived in LA for a number of years, he is in a family real-estate buisness and new to the gallery trade and is generously putting me up in a lovely guest house a block away. He is hosting a wine tasting party before our opening, which sounds like a great idea. I'll be running a painting workshop for about 20 of Hanuman's students next week.
In the meantime from my ac room I'm eagerly planning our Himachal Pradesh routes and timing and reading a delightful book called Kullu, The End of the Habitable World by a women who made the same treck we will by mule.