Chinna gave me a good subject in his comment in 'Expectation' page. I did not respond to that comment because I had a whole page for that subject on mind. Please read that comment first and continue reading the rest.
The road to Christmas is more enjoyable than Christmas itself. Waiting preparing shopping for Christmas is fun. Waiting is real Christmas, Diwali or Eid.
I don't have a passport, I don't intend to go anywhere abroad. There is so much to see in India that another 200 years are not enough for me. Believe me in my 58 years I haven't seen much. There is a world of experience yet to touch me, teach me. So much to be discovered.
I like to go to new places always. I enjoy the road, I enjoy the chaos of travel, railway stations, the struggle, I enjoy my window seat. and I enjoy the waiting. But I don't enjoy reaching. After reaching my excitement disappears, I just see, take pictures. But on the way in a train I enjoy visualising what the place is going to look like. Some times I am happy sometimes I am not. I expect the place to be like I heard or read.
I have tried not to have any expectation and failed.
My first experience of Taj Mahel was very unique.
After reading about it in school history books and seeing countless pictures over the years, the most photographed structure in the world, after reading many poems and hearing many songs on it, my expectations were touching the sky. I entered through one of the three gates. I was simply paralysed with what I saw. No picture including my own has done justice to this structure. Perhaps the only man made structure in the world on par with the splendour of nature. I did not regret not carrying a camera. Taj Mahel was million times higher than my expectations. I'll write more about Taj Mehel in Blunt knife soon
I'll continue the expectations tomorrow.
Oh my goodness, forgot to make the new year greeting.
Please click on the pictures for a full screen view. These pictures don't give you any idea of the splendour of Taj Mahel. You HAVE to be there. Being there spiritually is a big fat joke. Being there means go there and touch. Its a unique experience.
oh God, poms, you hit the right chord in this blog ! and i thought i was the only freak, tee hee hee ! i really have to reiterate your words on waiting. That's what happens to me too. I start getting excited about my birthday at least 2 months in advance. I hop about, proclaiming to every stranger who would care to listen, that my birthday is 60 days away. And just as the day draws closer, my excitement reaches a crescendo, and then *poof* , it's gone, the day the birthday arrives. I know i sound like an imbecile, but well, this is just a tiny example. I used to think, i'm just a li'l more crazy than most people, who get bored easily. I'd confused expectations with boredom. Maybe i still am confused, 'cuz now, i don't know if its the human tendency to lose interest quickly, or if it's the failure to match up with the expectations that pulls one down.. Food for thought :)
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Owee Puts ! me waits for for your b'day too.
ReplyDeleteEEEEEEEEE waiting for your big day ?? same kinda feeling or is it different ?
Yes Rauf. I keep learning that I am always HERE. I am never THERE. So here I am and whatever mood or spirit I am in is the mood and spirit of the entire universe HERE.
ReplyDeleteGeorge you can experience tranquility sitting in the New York Stock exchange.
ReplyDeleteSome experience tranquility when they double their money sitting there ( for a while )
Like you I see no need to travel very far. I rarely even leave Oxford -there is enough here to keep one interested for many lifetimes. I think most people tend to overlook what is right there under their noses!
ReplyDeleteYes Rob
ReplyDeleteYoung people come to seek advice on interesting places to shoot, i suggest their own bakyards first.
Hi Rauf, compliments of the season. Christmas in Goa was sweet.
ReplyDeletenice pics of the Taj Mahal.
Angeldust:)
Thank you Infancia
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a wonderful Christmas
Happy new year to you and all in the family
Now many friends are asking why I did not take my camera for my first Taj visit. Its hard for them to imagine me without a camera. On that day some how I felt that a camera would be a disturbance. I was able to be in the history, every inch of it was speaking loud. I carried the camera on my next visit, which was years later,
ReplyDeleteand lost the negatives.
everything is easy, simple, 2D, 3D if one can look at 'beauty' and verbalise ....
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why so many people are cynics - the outcome always beats your expectations. If it doesn't, at least you were right!
ReplyDeleteYou have almost written my next part Chinna Expectations 3
ReplyDeleteexcellent pictures. My company does tours to india. Maybe one day I will have the chance to go there.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year all
Absolutely wonderful imagery!!!
ReplyDeleteHope you, family, and friends have the best of New Years, .. and take good care of yourself!
Thank you Mr. Brown
ReplyDeleteWish you all the joy of nature in the years to come
Get a passport and see the rest of the world then you will learn how to handle choas and every bit of adjectives to describe India be improved.Get out of India for awhile so that u will a useful citizen not the CITIZEN in the movies-arasoo
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