Since water constitutes about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and is essential to all known forms of life, it is a safe bet to assume that if you are reading this you have access to water on a daily basis and you likely live near a body of water. Given that many of you live near a coast, it is no surprise for me to tell you that man has had and likely will always have a fascination about what lies on the opposite shore.
The recent tragic news from Mumbai, formerly Bombay, regarding the terrorists attacks, has again turned my thoughts toward the world’s largest democracy. Apropos of Bombay, long ago, Rudyard Kipling, the British writer, who was born in Bombay wrote:
Mother of Cities to me,
For I was born in her gate,
Between the palms and the sea,
Where the world-end steamers wait.
So Bombay was not only Kipling’s birthplace, but was also the port of entry for most of the Europeans who emigrated to India in the times when one traveled to India by ship. Bombay Gate, likely where those steamers Kipling refers to made port, is just steps from the stately and regal Taj Mahal Hotel which was a target of those recent attacks. Read more »
As you know, noted actor Paul Newman passed away recently. Newman had been married to actress Joanne Woodward from January 1958 until he died.
They weren’t your standard version of a Hollywood couple. In fact, at the time of his death, they had lived in Connecticut for many years.
