<h2>Ho Ho Ho... Mee Mumbaikar</h2>
An inflated Santa Claus balloon at a divider on Hill Road, Bandra West is a reminder that <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-tardeo-residents-celebrate-christmas-by-donating-blood-to-the-indian-navy-23606697" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Christmas </a>is around the corner
<h2>When Queen Marians assemble</h2>
The Tata Theatre at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point will see an assemblage of well-established women from The Queen Marian Association of ex-students today (December 11), who will gather to celebrate 150 years of their alma mater, Queen Mary School, located in Girgaon.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Pravina-Mecklai-aa_e.jpg" alt="Persis Madon, Pravina Mecklai and Brinda Miller" width="1280" height="720" /> Persis Madon, Pravina Mecklai and Brinda Miller
Pravina Mecklai, veteran gallerist, convener of the event, and a school alumna, was excited about the big celebration. &ldquo;The idea for this get-together stemmed from the desire to tap into the abilities and accomplishments of our alumni,&rdquo; she informed us.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Shaina-NC_e.jpg" alt="Geeta Kantawala in a rehearsal. Pic courtesy/Manasi Sheth (right) Shaina NC. File pic/Shadab Khan" width="1280" height="720" />Geeta Kantawala in a rehearsal. Pic courtesy/Manasi Sheth (right) Shaina NC. File pic/Shadab Khan
&ldquo;The evening begins with an <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/art-mumbai-2025-nine-global-art-galleries-to-check-out-at-citys-first-international-art-fair-23602339" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Art Walk</a> on the upper foyer of NCPA&rsquo;s Tata Theatre by Queen Marian artists, Ayesha Taleyarkhan and Brinda Miller, among others. The Alumni Choir will perform hymns, followed by a chat with authors Shobhaa De and Bhawana Somaya.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Shobhaa-De_e.jpg" alt="Shabana Azmi. Pic/Getty Images (right) Shobhaa De" width="1280" height="720" /> Shabana Azmi. Pic/Getty Images (right) Shobhaa De
Mecklai herself will have a natter alongside Dr Shirin Irani, a women&rsquo;s health specialist, ace swimmer Persis Madon, corporate law expert Rea Zaiwala, and entrepreneur Devita Saraf. &ldquo;Eminent fashion designer and politician Shaina NC will also attend; her outfits will be showcased in a fashion show by Queen Marians (alumnae) of all ages, the eldest being 80-year-old Geeta Kantawala. &ldquo;The finale will witness actor Shabana Azmi in her acclaimed play, Broken Images,&rdquo; Mecklai revealed. Now that&rsquo;s what we call a queen-sized gathering.
<h2>Parkinson&rsquo;s can&rsquo;t bother Border</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Allan-Border_e.jpg" alt="Allan Border. PIC/getty images" width="1280" height="720" />Allan Border. Pic/Getty Images
What happens when old foes like legendary England all-rounder Ian Botham and iconic Australian captain Allan Border (both 70) meet? Nostalgia flows, of course with leg-pulling thrown in and some talk about the not-so-good present times. Border was recently invited as a guest on the Beefy &amp; Beaumont Old Boys New Balls! podcast. Bill Beaumont is an English rugby stalwart. Botham was also Border&rsquo;s teammate at Queensland in 1987-88. Border has been battling Parkinson&rsquo;s since 2016, and typical of the gritty former captain, he isn&rsquo;t complaining. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very hard to control as a result of the problem of parts. I call it living with Parkinson&rsquo;s rather than suffering from it,&rdquo; says Border. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a bad life cycle. People still play a game of golf.&rdquo; That Border is a commentator for the ongoing Ashes series is proof that he isn&rsquo;t allowing Parkinson&rsquo;s to affect his life too much, slight slurring notwithstanding. And that&rsquo;s no surprise, considering Border is the captain, who in the words of celebrated cricket writer Mike Coward, gave &ldquo;Australian cricket the kiss of life.&rdquo;
<h2>The magic of Mahakali Caves</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Caves_e.jpg" alt="Dr Suraj A Pandit (centre) addresses participants during the walk. Pic courtesy/Department of AIC and Archaeology, Sathaye College" width="1280" height="720" /> Dr Suraj A Pandit (centre) addresses participants during the walk. Pic courtesy/Department of AIC and Archaeology, Sathaye College
It is imperative that citizens know and learn more about [the richness] of our cultural heritage in this city,&rdquo; this diarist was told by Dr Suraj A Pandit, Vice Principal of Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association&rsquo;s (PTVA) Sathaye College, Vile Parle. The academician conducted a heritage walk at Mahakali Caves, Andheri East last week. Recounting the visit, Dr Pandit shared, &ldquo;It was part of the Archaeology Fortnight Celebration, held in honour of renowned Indian archaeologist, Professor HD Sankalia&rsquo;s 117th birth anniversary. I introduced participants to the site&rsquo;s archaeological history, highlighting its significance in the context of ancient Indian art, and how the architecture within reflects the evolution of Buddhism.&rdquo;
<h2>Words that spark change</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Inakshi-Sobti_e.jpg" alt="Safeena Husain, Nandita Das and Inakshi Sobti. File pics" width="1280" height="720" /> Safeena Husain, Nandita Das and Inakshi Sobti. File pics
It was a busy Wednesday in Worli as the Asia Society India Centre and Dalberg launched Re: Orient, a series of six episodes featuring 26 experts across diverse fields to discuss the developmental challenges facing <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/nepal-charges-dozens-says-corruption-inflated-an-airports-costs-by-usd-74-million-23607079" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">South Asia</a>. The first session witnessed filmmaker Nandita Das joining Apar Gupta, founder director Internet Freedom Foundation, and Safeena Husain, founder of Educate Girls in a riveting conversation. &ldquo;Each episode brings together voices that do not often share a platform and invites them to think across their own fields,&rdquo; Inakshi Sobti, CEO, Asia Society India Centre, told this diarist.

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Ho Ho Ho... Mee Mumbaikar

When Queen Marians assemble

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