<h2>Kids find their mumbai groove</h2>
<p>Children play with the iconic city signage at the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/photo/in-photos-bandra-reclamation-promenade-in-mumbai-readies-for-christmas-2025-108791/1" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Bandra Reclamation</a> promenade.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A splash of Mexican spirit in Bandra</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Bandra-cafe_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Different sizes of Cantarito in a clay jar. Pics courtesy/ The Little Easy</em></strong></p>
<p>Is there anything like too much of the spirited stuff? The Little Easy in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-now-bandra-residents-seek-relief-from-two-wheeler-pain-23594902" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Bandra</a> answers firmly in the negative with its special three-litre Cantarito &mdash; a traditional Mexican cocktail often served authentically in a clay jar. Speaking to the founder of The Little Easy, Vishesh Shah (inset), said, &ldquo;When I was in Jalisco, Mexico, I kept seeing locals and tourists drinking from clay jugs on the streets. When I tried it, it instantly clicked for me. Some of those Cantaritos were massive, going up to 35 litres. While we&rsquo;ve kept it more practical here, our largest Cantarito is around three litres and almost has an entire bottle of Reposado tequila in it. It&rsquo;s super refreshing as it has citrusy notes with huge portions of ice, which makes it perfect for brunch with a group of friends. Bringing Cantarito to India for the first time at The Little Easy felt like sharing a little piece of that experience I brought back from Mexico.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>A cricketer a month!</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Cricketer_e.jpg" alt="Illustrations of (left) Rahul Dravid and (right) Don Bradman. Pics/Special Arrangement" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Illustrations of (left) Rahul Dravid and (right) Don Bradman. Pics/Special Arrangement</em></strong></p>
<p>THE festive season that coincides with the end of the year is also a time to get a move on in terms of procuring diaries and calendars. Our in-house cricket nut will now only go shopping for the former. That&rsquo;s because caricaturist Austin Coutinho, has sent him an artistic cricket-themed wall calendar. <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2025-rr-coach-rahul-dravid-admits-death-bowling-requires-improvement-23522516" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Rahul Dravid</a> is the first great to be featured because he turns 53 in January while a caricature of Sunil Gavaskar (born 10-07-1949) adorns the July sheet. Coutinho, we hear, has made a very limited amount of calendars and has prized them at Rs 650 each. Email him on auscoot1954@gmail.com for a copy.</p>
<h2>Ready to race?</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Moto-car_e.jpg" alt="Dhruv Chavan leading the The Polo Cup 2024 race at Madras International Circuit in Chennai; (right) heading out for practice before the race. Pics courtesy/Dhruv Chavan" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Dhruv Chavan leading the The Polo Cup 2024 race at Madras International Circuit in Chennai; (right) heading out for practice before the race. Pics courtesy/Dhruv Chavan</em></strong></p>
<p>This Lonavala-based gentleman, Dhruv Chavan (below), also known as BH Virtus, will be participating in the third round of Buzzing Hornet Motorsports of the Indian Touring Car (ITC) Championship at Chennai, scheduled from January 3 to 5. Reflecting on his journey, Chavan shared how he began training in 2021, which eventually led him to participate in his first motorsport race at Ajmera Indikarting in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-wadala-hotel-owner-alleges-brother-forged-signature-to-secure-rs-3-45-crore-loan-23608745?button=next" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Wadala</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/Dhruv-Chavan_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Since then, he has been unstoppable &mdash; no pun intended. After winning the Polo Cup in Chennai in 2024, he is now excited to compete in the ITC Championship. He told this diarist, &ldquo;This will be an extremely competitive phase for me, as many experienced drivers will be on the grid. This is also the first time I will be participating in the ITC category, which has far more variations compared to the Polo Cup.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>A literary giant quietly takes his leave</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/dec/grover-shukla_e.jpg" alt="Varun Grover with Vinod Kumar Shukla (right) at the launch of his book, A Silent Place in Raipur, 2018. PIC courtesy/@Vidushak" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Varun Grover with Vinod Kumar Shukla (right) at the launch of his book, A Silent Place in Raipur, 2018. PIC courtesy/@Vidushak</em></strong></p>
<p>Any reader who has encountered the words of Vinod Kumar Shukla remembers the effect of tenderness they carry. The passing of the 88-year-old Jnanpith Awardee on Tuesday leaves, as writer Varun Grover calls it, &lsquo;A Vinod Kumar Shukla-sized vacuum&rsquo; in Hindi literature&rsquo;. Comparing the late author-poet to Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Grover said, &ldquo;Even his [Shukla&rsquo;s] prose is coloured by poetic thought. He wrote in simple, but beautiful language. He would jest self-deprecatingly, &lsquo;I have the mind of a child&rsquo;. But the imagery was filled with a longing for home, humanism that defined his works.&rdquo;</p>

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Kids find their mumbai groove

A splash of Mexican spirit in Bandra

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