<h2>Divine Supervision</h2>
<p>A student studies for the upcoming board exams under Bappa&rsquo;s watch at Jogeshwari Caves</p>
<h2>Back to college</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Zygnema-new_e.jpg" alt="The band performs at an event" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The band performs at an event</em></strong></p>
<p>Heavy metal band Zygnema&rsquo;s newest release is a throwback to the 2000s, and no, it&rsquo;s not their upcoming album. Sidharth Kadadi, the band&rsquo;s lead guitarist, recently shared a 2008 photo of the band at Powerchords, the music festival of Sion&rsquo;s SIES College. &ldquo;The college gig culture back in the day was massive. Metal and rock ruled the line-ups.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Zygnema_e.jpg" alt="The photograph from 2008" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The photograph from 2008</em></strong></p>
<p>Powerchords was our first headlining show and that year we went on to play 40 competitions across the country. It brings back fond memories, especially in times where fests seem to have forgotten the genre,&rdquo; Kadadi shared, adding that the band will recreate the photograph leading to the launch of their new album, Iconic, in March.</p>
<h2>Lessons from Down Under</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Kohlhagen-1_e.jpg" alt="Dr Stuart Kohlhagen (in black T-shirt) interacts with educators at the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind in Tardeo" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Dr Stuart Kohlhagen (in black T-shirt) interacts with educators at the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind in Tardeo</em></strong></p>
<p>Last weekend, Australian STEM educator and founder of Science Nomad, Dr Stuart Kohlhagen made a trip to the city under the invitation of the Australian Consulate to the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind in Tardeo. &ldquo;This visit allowed us to share a number of simple, non-technology activities to make education more accessible to visually impaired students, which immediately triggered active discussions amongst the educators,&rdquo; Kohlhagen said. It was not all about teachers though.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Kohlhagen-2_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>He revealed, &ldquo;I had a short Q&amp;A scheduled with the students which turned into 90 minutes of the most fascinating science questions such as &lsquo;Why do octopuses have three hearts?&rsquo;, &lsquo;What is a black hole?&rsquo;, &lsquo;What is the origin of viruses?&rsquo; and many more.&rdquo; Currently on a visit to Gujarat for his workshop, Make-a-thon, Kohlhagen is expected to return to the city this weekend for another round of events. &ldquo;It is a great start, but as yet, just a start,&rdquo; he told this diarist.</p>
<h2>Mexican culinary vibe in Mumbai</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/LYLA_e.jpg" alt="The interiors of the new restaurant " width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The interiors of the new restaurant</em></strong></p>
<p>Come March 11, the streets of Bandra Kurla Complex will take a culinary sojourn across parts of Central America, right into Lyla &mdash; restaurateurs Dhaval Udeshi (inset), Nikita Harisinghani, and Pawan Shahri&rsquo;s attempt to bring a slice of Mexico and California to Mumbai.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Chrome-Founders_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>While the menu curated by chef Beena Noronha will revolve around signature dishes like ceviche de pescado and aji lima churros, the founders informed this diarist that the highlight of the restaurant is the ambience. &ldquo;Our design ethos blends Indian, Afro-Latin and Spanish influences, showcasing rich hues, organic textures and vibrant accents that will embrace our patrons with a cosy atmosphere,&rdquo; they shared.</p>
<h2>Making every vote count</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Chaitanya-Prabhu_e.jpg" alt="Chaitanya Prabhu (centre) displays a signboard at the awareness drive " width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Chaitanya Prabhu (centre) displays a signboard at the awareness drive</em></strong></p>
<p>Chaitanya Prabhu, founder, Mark Your Presence, a not-for-profit voter engagement organisation, is busy with some last-minute pre-election campaigning. Prabhu, with more than 180 young volunteers, congregated at Marine Drive on Sunday to raise awareness about voter registration. &ldquo;Young people partake in political discourse on social media platforms but the same enthusiasm doesn&rsquo;t reflect in the voter turnout,&rdquo; he shared, adding that the barrier is often the ambiguity around the electoral process. The organisation recorded 342 live voter registrations on the day of the drive with the support of the chief electoral office and the collector&rsquo;s office. &ldquo;Youngsters in the city aren&rsquo;t familiar with elections because we don&rsquo;t have college body elections in the city,&rdquo; Prabhu remarked, adding that to get students involved, the organisation has been working on a Youth Manifesto that holds suggestions and proposals from more than 900 students from colleges across the city. The official document is set to be published on March 15.</p>
<h2>You&rsquo;ve got a friend in me</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/feb/Nachiket-Parchure_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>If you step out in the city for a day by yourself today, you could probably count your choices on the fingers of one hand. Andheri-based filmmaker Nachiket Parchure (below) and actor Sankalp Joshi&rsquo;s brainchild, Professional Livers of Life, aims to make going out fun for everyone. The community offers lone rangers the option to share their plans on the community group to find like-minded individuals who would like to join. &ldquo;People are living most of their lives online, and seem to have forgotten the pleasures of heading out. For a lot of them, not having a partner is the biggest barrier. Our community is a judgement -free zone for people from all walks of life,&rdquo; Parchure shared. Those interested can drop him a message at @nachiket_ parchure.</p>

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

Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

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