John's World...Trading Spaces


I am sitting on my leather recliner with my feet up in the basement of my house in Dedham.  I have a glass of beer sitting beside me, my laptop is up, and I am watching a soccer game.  It could be any time of the day or night.  That’s my “space” at home.

Everyone settled into spaces soon after they arrived here in India.  James playing football in the park, Ashram hanging with Larissa at her house, and Brinda sitting at the dining table doing work (surprise!).  When I spied a “leather” couch with a TV in front of it I thought “SCORE”.  John has found his space.  Find me a beer and I am sitting pretty. 

Not-so-fast.

The couch.  Sweat inducing vinyl.  The accompanying pillow.  Sweatier inducing polyester.  The ceiling fan can run full blast fifteen feet away and its not even felt. 

But you have a TV with cable.  The menu says Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A—all on tonight.  Unfortunately, all the channels (you paid for) are locked.  You only have cricket matches from three months ago.  

What bad karma have I committed to deserve this?

Was this mentioned in Dante’s Inferno?  Which ring of hell is this?

It is simply the worst space imaginable.  

Now imagine the place where thoughts are free. 

A place where you can marvel at the worlds simplicity and complexity at the same time and in doing so, lose yourself in thought.

This is the rooftop balcony.

My office.

I hang the laundry here but do so much more.  The sun casts a bright light here that allows me to read. 

I take in a live cricket match involving the local kids.

I stare over at the People Mart and wonder about the day to day lives of each of its workers.

At night, I gaze upon the “Eiffel Tower” as it lights up the Sarjapur “skyline”.  (I didn’t have the guts to tell James it’s just a cell phone tower).

Day or night, this space inspires me.  Whether its curriculum work, how to deal with a family issue, how to make my ragi muddle just perfect, or what word I should use to pen the next line on this blog, the ideas usually come here...from me staring out into the vastness and simplicity of my space on the back, rooftop balcony.

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