42 Reasons for Being Happy Froods

… hint: you may need to read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to truly understand

Yesterday, the 23rd of March, was the 4th anniversary of Project Bibliotherapy (PB). To know more, please scroll down to where you’ll find a QR code to scan. You can also just read the page that the QR code is embedded in. But scanning the code is much more fun. That’s also where you’ll find 42 reasons for … etc.

Frankly, I am terrified of QR codes. I always want to leap up in the air like a cat that’s just stepped onto a hot frying pan whenever I’m asked to use one, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WORKS. Pure Satanism. But they do work. That’s the worst thing about them.

Which is what inspired my banner graphic this time. Intended to horrify your cellphone. Who knows what it might see, if forced to scan this monstrosity? *evil chuckles*

Here is a mini version of it, just for reminders in case the banner graphic is not currently visible.

Moving on! I need to report on yesterday’s EXTREMELY ENJOYABLE event at KUNZUM BOOKSHOP, Jor Bagh where Project Bibliotherapy’s fourth anniversary celebrations included a book chat with me.

There were around 25 people present including the parents and sister of Nitin (one half of PB).

The event took a little while to get started because the bookshop is rather cleverly hidden in the basement of what looks like an apartment building, with NO SIGNAGE outside. This meant that everyone who DID get there, was allowed to feel like Indiana Jones stumbling upon the Secret Society of Book Lovers huddled happily together, surrounded by books. And (surprisingly enough) ice cream. From BROOKLYN CREAMERY. Sugar free, no artificial flavours or added colour.

The other half of PB is Nandini, who wears interesting clothes and maintains a Substack called Sartorial Secrets (currently on a break). In her honour, I was wearing a pair of earrings (see below) that I made, using a jewellery kit I bought a thousand years ago from the British Museum shop in Heathrow Airport. Supposedly based on designs of Ancient Egyptian jewellery!!

They dangled and got stuck in the collar of my jacket a lot, which meant that I must’ve looked like an Ancient Egyptian, with my head frequently stuck at a silly angle BUT … it was fun anyway!

We all talked a lot about my books and about books in general. The audience was unusually smart and asked good questions and it was just a very pleasant event all around.

As a gift for being present, I gave everyone a set of eight (of my) postcards.

As a gift to me, PB gave me: Douglas Adams & John Lloyd’s immortal “THE MEANING OF LIFF – the original dictionary of things there should be words for”. Here is an example:

Little Urswick: The member of any class who most inclines the teacher to the view that capital punishment should be introduced in schools.

*grin* My kind of book!!