Stories

During my 90s summer vacations, the little curious soul in me would always find herself perched on the edge of a car seat. Those rides felt like I was moving through continents, many cities, and more importantly homes. There was always an extensive lineup of relatives' visits, and the one thing that seemed amazingly unvarying was the essence of each home. Things were beautifully selected, whether it was the china they served tea snacks on, the crochet work on the cushion covers, a personal hand-embroidered table cloth, or the way those family sepia toned photographs were hung on a wall. To me, every home had a woven story but there was always one piece that could unearth many more stories, perhaps what was once fashionable but certainly was always illuminated, the showpiece cabinet.                           You may remember, it was always centered in a living room, the classic wooden one with a sliding glass door. As your eyes rove over, you’ll see it filled with many accolades, trophies from school, those foreign crystal curios, travel souvenirs and miniatures, the classic marble carved Taj Mahal, and last but never the least the very staid composed family photograph shot in a studio. At one point the shelf remains undisturbed, sometimes it has an air of grandness but then most times it feels like a dormant shelf pared down as a foster home for things collected in the past.

Perhaps it’s another era, where being a memory keeper of souvenirs has a new sense of fashion. There’s a different approach to our generation's way of storytelling, which also includes narrating it through spaces in a home. Now we collect memorabilia to give life to spaces and elicit emotions. Rather than just buying a piece to remember a place, you gravitate toward a moment or memory. Whether your souvenir is placed on a bookshelf, next to a postcard, or it’s on your kitchen cabinet to remind you of a restaurant you loved, or even placing it on a console table with an array of photo frames, the once upon-a time 'showpiece shelf’ is slowly tuning in with contemporary aesthetics.

Over time, I’ve been quite inspired to find creative ways to incorporate them into home decor. A few visits to vintage stores, curated exhibitions at museums, and also modern and fresh approaches in other people’s homes gave me some ideas on how to showcase souvenirs more narratively.

1. Conversation Starters   I’ve always felt a living room is a place where some of the greatest conversations unfurl and the coffee table is always welcome to showcase your curated items. From coffee table books that pique your interest, you could always place your curio on the table, paired with a few flowers and a scent reminiscent of your travels.

2. Reinventing the Shelf Rather than just, aligning your shelf with a lot of books, bring in some of your travel interventions and highlight the nostalgic qualities. Stack up your books horizontally, place some curios on them, and frame some of your handwritten notes or even illustrations.

3. Circulate the House   Place the curios in your near and dear nooks of the house. Whether it’s your dressing table or your office table that would probably motivate you for your next vacation. Personal passions always shine through.

4. Handling Clutter  If you are a massive collector and worried about your home even exceeding the look of a museum. Why not invest in a chest or a stunning box to safeguard your troves? You gradually rotate with your items when you feel like giving a small makeover to your house?

I’ve always felt that the magic of your house lies in the harmony between space and objects, for it always transports you to another world but still leaves you very grounded. I would love to know how you’ve incorporated the souvenirs at home. More than happy to read in, do let me know in the comments section below.

Maybe when we go back into our childhood we remember how the cricket stars were hailed as the demigods of sports. We were always told that if we had a glass of milk we would be able to be as strong as then. In the school bus we got competitive with those playing cards and sided bowlers with the most number of wickets. Could you remember the days, you would wait in line to get a miniature cricket bat with a printed autograph. But in time, the sport got bowled over. Not so suddenly, the fandom for cricket took a toss. 

Now we see cut-outs of football stars towering over and roundabouts and highways. So many children geared in cleats and jerseys practicing football till the night comes to an end. It’s undeniable, there’s an impalpable love for football in the air. Kerala does have a history of winning a few national football championships, but it also takes this frenzy to an extra level. Different parts of Kerala had huge cut outs of Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, the Malappuram’s fan circle’s devotion is quite praiseworthy, even Messi had shared a video on facebook about the Malappuram fans. 

The football fever is so infectious that homes have football graffiti work, barbershops have endless requests for footballers’ haircuts, and many side shops have a facade of hot-selling jersey shirts. During the football season, you would see the roads blanketed with enthusiastic fans cloaked in jerseys of sunshine yellow and the classic Argentinian stripes. Many restaurants and cafes crescendo with wild cheers as people gather to watch football games. As the game slowly cruises to becoming a part of lifestyle, the best part is seeing how the game is part of everyday life. Especially during the monsoon season, how kids get dirty in the mud tossing the ball and doing cartwheels of victory after successfully scoring a  goal. Now’s that feeling of joy you can’t dribble with. 

I tried to think about why football is such an emotional investment. Could it be that now the whole world has become close knit because of this game. I rather moved into another line of thought when I saw Pele’s obituary hoardings all set across the city, some months ago. It then struck me, everyone loves a heroic story. Many footballer’s excellence and perseverance reflect in their game. From the successful rise of Pele, to Ronaldo and Messi, they never started off their journey as demigods. As humane as we all are, they rose to the horizon beyond our fascination. The game is a mix of talent and team spirit that reaches out to everyone.  With that they planted something in the many football fans out there, an  insatiable power to dream.