You learn best when you debate, discuss and disagree.

That’s my shtick at the start, and throughout the entire semester of any course that I’m teaching. A prof yapping away while standing at the lectern, and students paying closer attention to the time than to the prof is the worst way to learn. Unfortunately, it is this that is far more prevalent than the d,d and d strategy, and more’s the pity.

Which is why that adda I spoke about yesterday was so much fun, at the Fat Labrador Cafe. I’m betraying the fact that I’m married to a Bengali when I speak of the art of the adda. While katta is a word that a Maharashtrian would prefer, I’ve always had an attraction for alliteration, so I hope you’ll allow me my little word-play.

But back to the adda: Anupam Manur from the Takshashila Institute in Bangalore was in town for a conference, and he and I regaled a small but extremely enthusiastic audience with our list of five under-rated/counter-intuitive ideas from the field of economics.

The point isn’t about which were his five and which were mine – at least, that’s not the point of this post. The point is that fun laid-back discussions about any topic is a wonderful way to learn, to network and to have fun. And when accesorized with coffee that is as good as the one that The Fat Labrador Cafe serves up, well, what more can one ask for?

It is December, so why not try out something fun? This is addressed to folks who are in Pune (to begin with). How many of you would be interested in meeting up for an adda on the 11th of December, at 6 pm? The topic I have in mind are three posts that I really enjoyed writing this year, about learning economics by watching movies, paintings and cricket.

No money in and no money out, to be clear – this is not a paid event, this is very much a group of people getting together for a relaxed conversation. If we meet at, say, The Fat Labrador Cafe, each one of us pays for our own beverages and food. The idea is to learn through debate, discussion and disagreement (the non-Twitter variety, just to be clear). Around ten to fifteen people would be ideal, I think, so if I hear back from enough people, I’ll be more than happy to coordiante and make this happen. Feel free to reach out via this form.

When:
11th December, 2022 at 6pm

Where:
The Fat Labrador Cafe.

What:
An adda about fun ways to learn and apply economics.

Do I need to know economics?
Gawd no. But an interest in movies OR cricket OR art will help. Even this ain’t mandatory!

What do I need to pay?
Nothing, except an investment of your time. And you need to pay for whatever you eat/drink at the cafe