ALL MY LOVE

A piece of my heart is going away
To England
Arshi got married yesterday, I call her putputee she calls me pompom, she filled my life with all th love and joy in the world. Its painful for me to see her go so far away.
I love her so much
Here's the bride. Gorgeous she looks.

with friends

From left, Aalia, Dakshini,Sandhya, Pooja, Salma, Saira.

Amritha, Sandhya, The Bride, Pooja, Dakshini, Aalia. apart from the pillar all are my friends too. sweet sweet people.

Now she gonna scream at me for my selection of pictures, She's a mad man sometimes, (Holden Caulfield)

This is not about you ree putputee this is about the bride the attire, jewels, and the extra fittings attached to you, so just shuddup.

The top picture was the first day of the wedding, here on the second day putputee is wearing pink. Sooweet she is, Now she'd call me and say its not pink you idiot !

This is Mehendi, Its an extract of some leaves artistically drawn on palms back of the hands and on the feet too, and the liquid extract is left to dry, until then the bride has to be fed, no sleep, its a tough job being a bride.

With this heavy dress and jewellery and all the fittings, walking with her was like walking with the statue of liberty (Holden Caulfield)

This is Putputee on the first day wearing red, I think its red, Is it red ? Looks red to me.

The couple, on the second day, the Groom is Khadim, I wish them all the joy health and wealth in their married life.

This is Sweet Arshi 2 years ago

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THANK YOU

Aamir and Salma!
I sincerely regret and apologise for missing your wedding, Thank you so much for all your love and thank you for not making me feel guilty.
I am guilty as I missed one great day of my life.You are one of the sweetest couples I know.
I love you both Aamir and Salma.


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Poor Damayanti

This is a bill board I saw in Vengoor, Kerala, looks like a jewellery advertisement. The language is Malayalam. The face on the left must be a fashion model or a film actress, paid very well to pose for this commercial. The standing figure to the far right half diffused, half covered by Malayalam text is the most beautiful tall and elegant Hamsa Damayanthi. Its a famous painting of Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), please don't call her, that is not Damayanthi's mobile number, poor thing is dead.





The Ad Agency had the audasity to reverse the painting to make it unrecognisable ?? perhaps not. The painting is far too famous to go un noticed. They made it more insulting by covering her with the ugly text message or address of the company.This is the most insensitive way of promoting the product. Here to the right is the original image.

Poor Damayanthi is not alive to sue these guys.
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THE WITNESS

This chap was completely green when I focussed, I was not getting a good view, took a step closer and he turned brown when I clicked, I think I took the transition. I wanted to take another picture and this chap refused to pose and just disappeared. Thought I could put him on the witness stand and watch his colours changing.

Took these pictures yesterday, very long trek, I was completely drenched in sweat, I did not feel tired while on the trek as it happens always when I am lost in nature, but I was feeling miserable for having booked my return ticket by the night train. This was not planned, I had a free day, thought I could see the surrounding places. I was worried about reaching the railway station on time, had to go 80 kilometers from this remote place, completely dependant on public transport. This is Thattakad, Kerala, a bird sanctuary and reserve forest. Now I am feeling tired, couldn't sleep in the train, too many kids jumping around and constant ringing of mobiles kept me awake. I was listening to music all night long.
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This is a different chap, different witness, too willing to pose. This is not a full frame, I didn't want to disturb him like I did to the other chap.

THE SCALE

The chap who invented God was an ordinary guy
But the chap who invented the devil was a genius.
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THE MESS

World was doing fine
until the intellectuals came.
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THE ALIEN REPORT

Believe me, like my friends and readers, I have no clue myself, but I'll make an attempt.
In my opinion, IN MY OPINION, this is how the aliens would have reported.

This planet is blessed with humans, shining with love and kindness. These humans are so good that we find it hard to find a bad person. With so much of goodness shining, we see the oceans of tears. Their goodness is overshadowed by evil, done by so few, so few that we can't even locate them. All we see is good people. The world is a beautiful place, and the
presence of humans makes it more beautiful.

Those who have been reading my blogs must be thinking that my life is full of bitter experiences. I have none actually. None, until I have a news paper in my hands, thats when bitterness creeps in. My life is simple and uncomplicated, filled with love affection and kindness of my family, my friends and strangers who have made my life such a pleasant journey.


This is Priya, a tribal, her parents are illiterates. Here she's a bit terrified of me. After a long trek through thick and dense forest, I landed in her small tribal settlement, had a wash in a small stream, sat on a rock and relaxed for a while.

I had to find a shelter as the sky was threatening to open up. Out of nowhere her mother brought a big jar of steaming hot black tea. I was speechless, and drank all of it, I was tired after a steep climb and descent, and I badly needed it.

I was kicking myself for not carrying biscuit packets which I had purchased the previous night from the town. I just forgot in a hurry. I normally carry them in my camera bag for tribal kids I meet on my treks, here in south or in the Himalayas (I would advise you to carry small packets of tea, its most precious for them in the remote areas and your chocolate could be the first chocolate of the child's life.)

I was foolish enough to offer them some money which they didn't accept. By now Priya was pretty relaxed with me. It started to drizzle, and time for
me to leave, they begged me to stay a while longer,They pleaded the way my sister would do, I ignored their plea and stepped out with tears in my eyes. Strangers, illiterates, showing so much of love and care ? And little Priya was doing everything to protect me from the barking dogs, a small child protecting me leading me till I crossed the stream. It started to rain heavily. I did not have the courage to turn back and wave at her. I kept walking in the rain.

This is little priya again, I know she is smiling behind that bamboo fence, She gave me so much, I gave her nothing.
The world is full of such lovely people. Its a pleasant journey.
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ARE WE A HAPPY LOT ?

What ?
WHAAT ?
Staring at me ?
Whats that silly expression ? Are you jealous that I have a camera ?
What are you thinking ?

Dear GGODD ..... is this how I end up ? A human ?
EEEEKS ! Not meeee. Down with evolution !!

Hey you monkey! Listen to me.
Now you tell me, what do you think of us, the human race ?
Are you envious or happy that you are not one of us.

Are we a happy lot ?
you can't generalise ?
Well, this monkey does.
This monkey does not care if I am ignorant or enlightened or I have a degree in chemistry. All he cares about is I have a Nikon digital. He wants it too.

Collectively are we humans a happy race ?

I'll make things easier for you

Just imagine a bunch of aliens watching us from space. What would be their opinion of human race ?
They can't see that you are happy and I am a lunatic.
They see all of us, collectively, and file a report to their boss.
What would that report say ?
Hey boss ! These humans are yummy ?

Imagine yourself in space and looking down. Would you think of a passport and visa to move an inch, do you see any lines dividing us ?
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Appreciation

I used to admire a famous Indian classical singer, one of the top most, used to eagerly wait for him to come to the city, never met him or took his pictures, just sat and enjoyed his concerts. A few years ago through a friend, I came to know of the atrocities he committed on his wife. Since then I started hating him and gave away his CD's I had, and never attended his concerts after that.

Right from my school days I used to enjoy reading Byron, he had many issues which never bothered me, I don't want to go into them, I continued admiring him. I happened to read about his daughter Ada whom he abandoned as a week old baby, and never saw her again till the day he died. That really made me hate him.
I had never heard of a computer and never knew that there is something called a computer language. Byron's daughter who later became Lady Lovelace was a gifted mathematician, extremely intelligent, wrote the first ever language for a computer, which was then called an analytical engine, in 1834, she was just 17 at that time. Perhaps in the 50's or 60's one of the first modern computer languages was named after her, simply called 'ADA' She died very young, same age as her father, 36. Charles Dickens and Michael Faraday were among her friends. Thanks to you Ada that I am posting this on my blog.

I have no problems enjoying Oscar Wilde or Elton John. Oscar wilde was a big big mess. So was Vincent VanGogh, he was no saint, he did his best to be one, he studied to be a priest for a while. Good that he failed, we would have missed a great artist. His life is one big reason for the price tag of his work.

I find it impossible to shut myself from the private life of an artist. Knowing some thing more about the artist you admire, lands you in trouble. It happened to me with John Lennon. I am just scared of reading about John Steinbeck, who taught me more about human mind than Sigmund Freud ever did. I have avoided reading Steinbeck's life.
Kowning more about the person who has influenced my life has always depressed me.

Does the life of an artist interfere with your appreciation of his or her art music or literature ?

Is knowing more about the person you admire most, a good idea ?
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Love killed him

What do you think of a country which enforces draconian laws ?
First thing that would come to your mind is run away, never go anywhere near that country.
You are a law abiding citizen, such laws should not affect you as you have no intentions of breaking them, but still you would like to keep away from a country which enforces such laws.
You may have money a good job a good house and you are a God fearing person minding your own business, what worries would you have ?
No you are not afraid of any punishment, but the atmosphere of such laws would suffocate you.
Who is this guy Draco ?
A picture of some monster comes to mind.
Actually he was a very sweet guy.

7th Century BC Athens was chaotic. (I am writing based on my memory, please check and correct me.) utter lawlessness prevailed. People were not safe even in their houses. Terrified people hid their women folks in the basements. It was not safe to walk outside even in broad daylight. Chopped heads, blood every where.Then came this guy Draco, elected as a governor(please correct me) raised an army in a very short period and enforced very stringent laws, death for simplest of crimes. Things were back to normal almost immediately. It was a relief for the Athenians.
Draco became a hero

One day he appeared on stage like Michel Jackson. A huge crowd had gatherd to have a glimpse of him. Electric atmosphere like a rock show. Tadaam thdoom Drums beating in frenzy and pippreee pippee bugles blaring, Flowers showering on him from all directions.
Like we see in a rock show, one chap took off his robe and flung at him, the rest followed. Poor chap came under a rain of robes falling from everywhere, couldn't find his way out, Oweee where did he go ?
No movement No Draco. He was nowhere to be found, just disappeared, all there was on the stage was a heap of robes, and our hero under it.
The crowd was still cheering. None of them was a PhD in physics.
These jokers never realised how thick and heavy their robes really were.
The guards rushed to pull him out of the heap in a frantic search and rescue operation, found him suffocated and very very dead.
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India

Tell me to sing our National anthem, I'll sing in one breath. Its drilled in my head from the childhood. It comes out mechanically. Its written in Bengali, All I know is all regions are mentioned there. I never realised how beautiful it is until Zubin Mehta conducted it in a concert in Delhi in the early 80's when Indira Gandhi was alive. I suddenly became aware and played it in my mind over and over again as the recording was not available. Zubin stuck to the basics. Not a note altered, as it is a National anthem and yet it was different and inspiring.

Homer was blind, he narrated stories which people knew already. Nothing new, yet people flocked to hear him, he mesmerised them by the sheer power of narration.

My mind is still blank
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Reach

January 1st, thought I have to post something but the mind is blank, a blank mind is a new year gift for me, I wish it stays blank for all 365 days.

The picture 'Mohini Attam' a south Indian classical dance form, has its roots in the State of Kerala. Slow fluid rhythmic movements is a treat to watch, Its like Tai chi. Please don't jump on me, I am no expert. The background is an ' Ambalam' a temple, a lovely wooden structure. In India the dance goes beyond the movements of hands and feet. you reach God thru dance.
You reach God driving a Bugatti too, both ways, its engineering and a real hand shake with God, as it takes you more than 400 miles an hour .
We have our own individual way of reaching out. Your life flows thru your fingers on a piano, a brush or a tennis raquet.
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