<h2>Flip out the old</h2>
<p>Onlookers watch as an artiste performs a somersault on Marine Drive promenade on New Year&rsquo;s Eve.</p>
<h2>Pok&eacute;-ing fun in the city</h2>
<p><img title="A moment from the Jakarta City Safari in September 2024. Pic Courtesy/Youtube" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-b_e.jpg" alt="A moment from the Jakarta City Safari in September 2024. Pic Courtesy/Youtube" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A moment from the Jakarta City Safari in September 2024. Pic Courtesy/Youtube</em></strong></p>
<p>The city is in for a Pok&eacute;mon takeover early this year. While fans are already gearing up for the Pok&eacute;mon Carnival in February, Niantic Inc (Pok&eacute;mon GO&rsquo;s parent company) community lead Aral Lobo revealed bigger plans for March. &ldquo;We are excited to bring the Pok&eacute;mon City Safari experience to India for the first time after editions in cities like Sao Paulo and Jakarta,&rdquo; Lobo told this diarist. While the main venue remains undecided, nearly 78 community spaces including Shivaji Park and Carter Road will be a part of the city-wide event, Lobo confirmed. Expect meet-and-greets, activities, and long hours of action-packed gaming. As good a reason as any to step out and explore the city this year, we say. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<h2>From the stage to the page</h2>
<p><img title="Ramu Ramanathan. File pic" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-c_e.jpg" alt="Ramu Ramanathan. File pic" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Ramu Ramanathan. File pic</em></strong></p>
<p>It might have taken him two decades, but playwright Ramu Ramanathan is set to publish the scripts of his two plays, Cotton 56 Polyester 84 and Comrade Kumbhakarna, in a compiled edition by Dibyajyoti Sarma&rsquo;s Red River later this year. &ldquo;These two plays had never been published before, though there had been requests,&rdquo; the playwright shared. In addition to rare photographs from the first production of both plays (by Sunil Shanbag and Mohit Takalkar, respectively), the book will contain critiques by Ashutosh Poddar and Pragya Tiwari to add context to the works, as well as blurbs by several theatre practitioners. &ldquo;I am doing the final reads of the pages currently. It will be digitally printed, and available online. Theatre lovers can pick up copies at Prithvi or Ranga Shankara (in Bengaluru), among other spaces,&rdquo; he added. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>The eight-year gap</h2>
<p><img title="A partial structure of one of the ships" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-d_e.jpg" alt="A partial structure of one of the ships" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A partial structure of one of the ships</em></strong></p>
<p>After a gap of almost eight years, contemporary artist Kausik Mukhopadhyay is returning with a new artwork titled &lsquo;I want to travel blind&rsquo; which will be on display at Chatterjee &amp; Lal in Colaba from January 9. Inspired by his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the artwork is a reflection on the ideas of travel and loneliness. &ldquo;When my mother passed away during the pandemic, I was stuck in Kolkata. That is when stories about travelling alone and living in isolation came to my mind,&rdquo; he said. The installation which features two ships is a labour of love for Mukhopadhyay. &ldquo;This is the first time I am doing such a large artwork. The installation, half of which will be assembled in the gallery, reflects an urge to be elsewhere,&rdquo; he revealed.</p>
<p><img title="Mukhopadhyay" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-e_e.jpg" alt="Mukhopadhyay" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<h2>Suburban dreams go global</h2>
<p><img title="The Thane-based metal band in performance. Pic Courtesy/Youtube" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-f_e.jpg" alt="The Thane-based metal band in performance. Pic Courtesy/Youtube" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>The Thane-based metal band in performance. Pic Courtesy/Youtube</em></strong></p>
<p>Thane-based metal band Eternal Returns will make their first international sojourn in 2025 after signing with the US-based label, Brutal Records. &ldquo;After more than two years of planning, our European tour is finally happening, starting with the Czech Republic,&rdquo; Narendra Patel, vocalist and lyricist of the band, told this diarist. &ldquo;Our new album, Let There Be Sin, will be released in April. It represents our evolution and passion, and we can&rsquo;t wait to share it with the world,&rdquo; Harsh Makwana and Sankul Chavan, guitarists, revealed to us.</p>
<h2>New colours in Irla</h2>
<p><img title="The team paints table tops with vibrant colours at the new space in Vile Parle " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-one-jan-g_e.jpg" alt="The team paints table tops with vibrant colours at the new space in Vile Parle " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>The team paints table tops with vibrant colours at the new space in Vile Parle&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>The new year brings a new move for the NGO, Yash Charitable Trust. The organisation will move out of the Juhu neighbourhood to Irla in Vile Parle West this month. Located on SV Road, next to Irla Nursing Home, the space will also house their popular food venture, Cafe Arpan. &ldquo;We had been thinking of the move for a while. It was opportune that we found a space large enough to consolidate all our different programmes,&rdquo; shared trustee Ashaita Mahajan. In addition to hosting counselling sessions, talks and skilling workshops including bakery training, the NGO will look to focus on training that facilitates Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PwIDD) to be employment ready. As for the new look of the caf&eacute; (that will open in March), Mahajan said, &ldquo;We hope to bring the same cosy vibe from our Juhu space, but also make it more student-friendly. We will also have a beverage station to showcase the skills of our members.&rdquo;</p><p>
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