Sky Gazing

Image courtesy: Google

I just want to touch the sky

I just want to blow the wind

I just want to kiss the clouds

I just want to signal the stars

I just want to paint the moon

Using the colors of rainbow;

I just want to draw a rangoli

Using the dots of stars;

I just want to write a letter

Using the galaxy to my eternal love;

I just want to eliminate from the earth

To fetch the golden opportunity of stars

The silver jubilee of moon

Under the limelight of yellow sun.

Footnote: Just nothing to do last night while the power goes off…  I penned this poem using the mobile phone, inspired by sky gazing.

Observation

The uncertain sky

Illuminates in illusion lights

The bright sun-shine

Drives off the dark side

The gloaming moon

Glimpse with gray shades

Thus beyond

Twinkles the stars

The concealed ocean

Ripple with immense species

Yet the transparent water

Hid by a astonishing beauty

Holding plenty of mystery

Yet to reveal and unknown

Certainly fall out inside the future.

Image courtesy: Google images

Sunset at Karaikal

The sun gleam at me

through the windshield
I gaze the beauty yet to sleep

The mild crimson sky

through the glowing sun
thus a gorgeous sight

Drive away by disappointed wind

derives the sight of sunset
as gladder consolation to heart.

Footnote:

I get to capture this beautiful sunset from Karaikal beach while visiting the place last month end. Karaikal is a part of the Union Territory of India, Pondicherry. The sight of sunset was a chance brought by the strong wind which drives us from the beach shore as we couldn’t withstand the sandstorm that we ever experienced. The wind had blown away the dark clouds to unveil this lovely sunset which still fresh in mind to cherish.

Experience of Moon on Zoom

The cold moon at sky

We spy

The uncertain shades

The pretty white mass

In dimples cheek

Raises high above the eyebrow 

The full moon sphere

Is the only reliable vista
One could visit in near future

Footnote:

I captured these shots on late full moon night, using the maximum optical and digital zoom on my new Canon power shot sx220 hs. The details were mesmerizing me as this was my first capture on moon so near and clear, latter wondering many a times seeing others magnificent capture on moon. The whole set was wonderful taking off and I added few lines along with it here!

Bird watching in my neighborhood

Nowadays I am becoming a passionate bird watcher and looking for birds always around my neighborhood and shutting down as much disturbance to listen to their sweet chirpings. Among the many birds mist passes our courtyard and perched to the branches, there are few regular visitors and home stayed by couple of Koels and crows.

Asian Koels

Mynas are frequently sighted here like there’s always one when u need and Koels flew in once food left at the compound. They even beat the crows by arriving early to finish the left over and if this continues one day instead of shouting out for crows on special days to treat with vada, we perhaps could send sweet calls to Koel.

White Throated Kingfisher

As u all know already I think that a Kingfisher has been my morning visitor everyday and it’s still holding its habit and I only missing to check it outside regularly. The bird comes to perch irregularly these days except not only in the morning and I lately discovered that it was the owner of the sweet vocal that chirps aloud in rhyming.

The unbelievable me, watched it thought binocular to astonish how amazing and cute the little white throated blows out loud series of twitter.

Rufous Treepie

The other day an unusual bird come across our sight and after a couple of takes on failure, I captured the bird when it perch a branch of Gulmohar. The bird looked different and finding its name and identity has been tough to only discover after a serious search on Indian birds.

Rufous Treepie is the name of the unusual bird and its call was something I could easily recall hearing here via the internet and interestingly the bird is a member of the crow family (Corvidae). Found commonly on open scrub and agro-forest areas, both the sexes of the bird are alike in main body color of cinnamon with a back head and long graduated tail in bluish gray and tipped in black is enhanced by white patches on the wings.

Action squirrel with new Cam

Here’s a series of action by squirrel captured with my newly bought Camera, Canon PowerShot SX220 HS! It’s a quite impressive camera with quick burst and 14x optical zoom, it captures the distance objects crisp and clear to put me at great surprise and rejoice. I am enjoying it indeed :)

I really missed a good deal that comes in hand while getting this camera and I don’t want to miss the chance by paying little more on it where this model is on near closing its business represented by the latest models in its series. I’m quite content with the quality of pictures from this 12 megapixel point and shoot camera with features almost double than my currently corrupted with lens, Canon PowerShot SD850 IS.

I really wished for a camera with more zooming and light weighted and while studying on this format I find canon sx220hs getting prior in many area and even though its zooming is less compared to its similar feature based on brands Nikon, Sony… Canon is much better at picture quality and high speed shutter which I lack during low light with previous one. Moreover the design and the way of handing the camera want me to go for it with least disappointment with weight adding few more grams and battery that runs out sooner than the previous one… glad both the cameras hold the same batter for me to use one as spare while traveling.

Back in action, the cute lil squirrel was very active running here and there on the compound wall feeding on the idly left over and it doesn’t stop a moment for me until few seconds of munching… the camera acted too smart and fast capturing the squirrel never ever so clear nearby me! I’m ahead to go out testing and experience the various shooting modes it holds along extending my road trip on ECR further to Point Calimere.

Kodai section

Before you reach the cool paradise Kodaikanal, you can’t miss few wonderful sights that come across the Ghats section while drive through Batlagundu – a town very close to the foothills of this hill station. Climbing couple of miles on the winding road holds a lovely view of the Manjalar Dam to the valley on left, which is situated by three sides of hills around, leaves you stunning with its vista.

Another few miles on Ghats is the Dum Dum Rock; with wide space on road, this hairpin bend holds a viewpoint to check the Manjalar Dam and the Thalaiyar Falls. Also known as Rat Tail Falls is a long thin white strip of waterfall flows across the valley, facing us to a background of black rock cliff is a nature wonder whether it flows or not.

Concentrating on the shape of rat tail, the falls has a low concrete wall on either side on the very edge at the top of the fall and leading to it is inaccessible except people who dare to hike to this rewarding height. For a hiker reaching the bottom of the falls is possible in the dry season following the backwater stream of Manjalar Reservoir. The falls is the highest waterfall in Tamil Nadu and third in India with 975 ft (297 m) tall is 267th highest in the world.

Silver Cascade is another beautiful waterfall comes very close nearing Kodaikanal, is first stop among its destinations and the flow of water is impressive except for its lack of pristine these days. Lately it was flood amazing! The 180 ft waterfall is caused by the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake and small stream by around.

The Kodai section will continue...

Kid’s behavior and value of lessons

Children are used to compare with divines who mean to be pure, innocent, harmless, and genuine... but few incidents happening in society quite rear at shock and something exists at western schools is at last here. Two days ago a 15 years-old student killed his school teacher fiercely with a knife within the class in Chennai has shook everyone at nook and corners of the city and country.

What the kid done is obviously condemnable and unforgivable, but consciously he’s not quite culprit and what disgusted him to take the knife is need to be revealed… obviously and rather himself admitted why he was ferocious on the teacher who made remarks on his report card and threatened to fail him. We all know it’s a common thing all teachers do to make student learn better and score good marks, but sometimes students who can’t come out of emotions end up with negative thoughts of one killing themselves or seldom dare to attempt on others.

I’m not appreciating his boldness and its quite contempt that no one should ever be stimulated by such daring thought and its astonishing how his little mind captured such cruel to kill someone. Once there used to be classes on moral science where they teach us valuable lessons on life and personal development and realization are indeed missing now, and instead computer science and mark oriented subjects took prior to keep away the taught on goodness and behavior.

Once there were great respect and equal fear were kept on teachers, and children who doesn’t obey to parents will be obedient to teachers and not that they are different now, but children are growing fast unsteadily expose to television, internet and movies are rather to any kind of activities and behavior. Parents too are forcing their children to get more marks and rank, and comparison is the worst tool they always take in hand to measure their child with other children and however their behavior are want them to place in higher order.

I’m no more to say education has become business and parents want their children to be an investment to gain profit later. Media’s influence is a lot these days on children, where they remember the rhymes are not well like memorizing the film songs… I hear from my neighboring kids while they play sing the infamous Kolaveri Di (killer rage) and Evan Di Unna Pethan... Kaila Kadaicha Sethan (Who’s your father... will be killed if caught in hand) kind of rubbish songs with killer rage lyrics has captured their attention a lot and thus applied by the kid today on his respected teacher.

In the kind of knowledge, learning, playful, disobedient and worst behaviors are rising even on children and double the latter generation needs a proper guidance by teachers as well as parents to negotiate their difficulties, disagreement and emotions. Foremost the kids are unlike before, and they have a tendency to learn and earn soon has lack of behavior and irresponsible towards elders as they think know everything but incompletely... and not all kids are under this category.

Essence of entice

Honey, the collection of bees
perhaps the sweetest essence
collected from pollen grains

Flowers, the essence of entice
led bees lure the best inside
to feedback us with grand savour

The beauties of beehives
seems to be behind the entice
to ensure essence lost nowhere

Footnote:

The flower with bee was captured at Lalbagh Garden in Bangalore last May and the flower is an orange Cosmos. I also like to post at least a flower every week as a Friday Flower series on my many photo collections on flowers. I wonder who won’t love flowers and they are the species admired and adored by everyone and the essence of nature is easily expose through them and a kind to enhance a lot with beauty!

Chennai, masked in smoke

Unlike before, Chennai came under a giant mask of mist and fog in form of smoke created by bursting firecrackers last evening due to festival of lights – Diwali, has seen a Chennai unseen ever in a worst bad weather condition. Nothing can be seen in front of us except smoke after few feet’s away and air were so much polluted to inhale has stopped me from joining exploding firecrackers after taking a brief drive around my area.

Like how weather changes in GTA (PC game), after dusk its quite became grey and darkness everywhere and even the dazzling fireworks display were diminish at sky and created a fear of becoming breathlessness and lung infection. It was challenge for my cousin to drive through the smoky weather and passing streets where kids and youngsters bursting crackers and leaving rockets in invisible state.

The already clouded weather and witness of constant heavy rain throughout the day forced all of them to burst firecrackers in evening is the foremost reason for this unwanted weather and the clouded sky that refused to open to give way for smoke and unwind surface are all lead to this helpless situation. It’s obvious that firecrackers are polluting our environment and it is also uneasy to leave all of sudden this practice but sure we need to bring a change in this and find a way to reduce its cause without affecting the festival of light and joy.

I realize the noise had been reduced this year comparing yesteryear's and the firecrackers usually begin there explode at early morning, has extended its wake-up call by 8am and thanks to the heavy rain that worked as an interference in reducing the havoc. The increased price of firecrackers up to 7-8 % could also be the reason in bringing down the purchase of firecrackers and increased awareness about its disadvantage had helped a lot to drop in practice. Being an ardent of firecracker, for me it’s hard to defocus on fireworks towards the festival but I came down now from abundant to least; thanks to the price rise which brings down the item numbers to shot. Wish someday I will quit it completely!

Local body election... and things need to think

I skipped from voting at the local body election held today across the state and I don’t have any specific reason from voting and couldn’t see anything inspiring to cast my vote, since all parties standing on their own everyone crunches the same flour repeatedly. I couldn’t see anything innovative or prudent to bring change from the usual chorus singed by everyone to draw good roads, put street lights everywhere, cleaning garbage’s immediately and free from litters and block in sewage.
I don’t know about other places except Chennai Corporation, is this the pattern continues everywhere and I just want to ask those in the power for last 5 years, what have u been doing these days without correcting these and u only need a chance now to do these. I read couple of bit notices given by parties as manifesto at doorstep are indifferent to each other and I agree these are common problem that needs continues maintenance and these aren’t enough we are expecting.

The government and candidates themselves should first aware about their circuit and for this one needn’t to be a party supported or political experience and anyone from the local division could bring changes by realizing the need. Now the Chennai Corporation has expanded from 155 circuits to 200 by adding suburbs, but no one have ever talked anything about the Pallikaranai marshland that comes into the corporation which it uses as a dumping ground of collected garbage in the city is brimming to lose its habitant quite.

I wonder when we are going to understand the need of water quite without which nothing survives in this world. Have heard of rivers, lakes and reservoir being dried, but a place that never dries are the marshland and I haven’t seen it in a condition before and it’s the only place near Chennai to have freshwater always at nature state. Environment experts kept emphasis the need to preserve this place never fell at those ears of government as well as the Chennai Corporation which kept dumping like deaf and numb.

Pallikaranai marshland (click pic to enlarge)

Next to Vedanthangal bird sanctuary, one can watch for various birds and cranes at Pallikaranai marshland and so was its lavishing vegetation and aquatic, and being near to Chennai and now a part of it, no one raises there voice to protect this priceless wealth. The marshland plays a significant role in restoring the groundwater to its previous stage or maintains its ability to use when sodium and iron ore are emerging into the groundwater which unfits to use unless using filters to desalination process.

Another thing that needs to consider was regulating the share autos, which has its own rule to stop anywhere and drive irregularly into the traffic and threatening accident and life damage. The share autos had changed the way of people traveling to nearby distance and people chose this as they can hire it from anywhere they stand and go to places at minimum Rs.5 without walking much. I really think we need to bring a change in this format and alike bus stand, we need share auto stands to avoid the difficulties they provide to other by standing wherever they like.

Traffic has become a universal problem these days as almost cities breathe hard among the vehicle population; seem never to change better than going worst of increasing vehicle every day and Chennai isn’t exception in anyway. With large amount of cars, roads become less space for pedestrians to walk and bicycles to ride, the platform put for pedestrians are occupied by mobile vendors and in name of traffic regulation, the vehicles are diverted to go around reaching their place at less mileage and lack of efficient.

Looks like my mind is also taking diversion from the point of this post... and to say there’s a lot to look at and the intention has to change to see beyond the usual said now and then. I feel guilty for not doing my right of voting and writing this post here. Hope something will done for better living!

Balanced growth

We all know that we can’t live without food and how many of us really care for those producing the quite ingredients. Today people all concentrate on development which we all think as computer based and make easy things without hard work and pain by just sitting in front of computers and gadgets and of course it’s not an easy take though, physical ability has reduced and mental strain has increased since we forget to balance either.
Today almost development is based on technology basis and most of them just want to become an engineer and work in MNCs or software companies which pay high and have a wide vision of aboard. I’m not complaining about them or this system based development and thus I never qualified to talk about others and the wisdom based on studies and knowledge, I just express from the views and thoughts I read and felt from.

We all need this kind of development which I have no different opinion from others, but this is not alone a life of living and we need to give total equivalent to agriculture which holds our breath. We all know that it’s impossible to live without eating and food is not quite based of cereal products it also includes vegetable and fruits and if not agriculture where could we get all these from. There used to say there isn’t a best medicine like food!

I’m nothing to say new here but felt to say that the care and concern given for agriculture isn’t right unlike we give to technology based development which lack to look beside either agriculture or its related livestock business and growth. I can’t quite deny that technology isn’t helpful in agriculture any ways, but still beyond an edge is totally based on soil and water resource. What really put down the agriculture was lack of employees who weren’t content with the income and goes in search of jobs in cities and towns.

Today how many youngsters willing to take agriculture as their career and get down in field to make certain for its future progress and productivity. Man, education and knowledge is to develop every individual to think and work on their own and experience a life of great wisdom and values… but how many of them work based on their studies and interest. Its overall experience and talent make one a great employ or CEO.

My question is when one can work with such jobs why can’t take agriculture as a career to make certain it has a bright future to behold beyond its struggle and starvation. The technology has developed a lot and make certain that anything is possible, but why can’t we still bring up the suppressed agriculture and give hand to our foremost life saver and best among the businesses.

I just write what quite mind says about and I’m not much deep in details about the facts to make certain or explain except through sense of what I see, read and come to know that there’s something dying or unconcerned beside great development in technology. What I really want to see was that both technology and agriculture are developed at balance to build a developed India.

King of fishing

Whose sight uncommon has become a regular visitor of mine to come and sit on the Gulmohar tree right opposite to my house at every morning is a delight to see. Sometime I just think of thanking him/her to come and check me every day unlike some dear ones unwilling and feel bored to spent time with me.

The blue coated, white breasted lady is really a beauty stick to dark red or pink beak and darker blown tufted head as a cap, takes refrain on particular branches either nearby at few steps from our doorstep. I attempt to capture the kingfishers on various moments while they come in search of fishes on the stagnant water opposite to my house, what rains left back as a trace for birds to look after for fishes, snails and frogs.

One day I captured the White-breasted Kingfisher while it took refrain on seed pods of the Gulmohar tree, refusing to move or flip back its position for long time gave me the wonderful opportunity to shoot her. I have tried many times to capture the bird but before I get back with my camera it will fly away… and the bird usual sighted while monsoon prevails and water filled the open ground, but even while it was dry in summer I received this bird at the branch.

I used my point and shoot camera to its maximum optical zooms to this quite nearly shot of the bird which appears little for a large kingfisher measured to be 28cm in length. I captured the white breasted kingfisher on two more occasions and one was while visiting Cubbon park in Banglaore.

Good morning

Inspired by the poem written by my dear friend, Dawn! The picture captured at one early morning in Kotagiri by me, goes well with this poem… so included it do add pleasant. Hope u all liked :)

Sunrays

Wrote this poem inspired by the stunning rays, I captured while nearly Bangalore lately.

The Big Temple – Thanjavur

The Big temple in Thanjavur is world famous and the main aspect of the temple structure was its disclosing Dravidian architecture. Built by the great ruler of South India Rajaraja Chozlan in 10th century AD, the building completing its 1000 years of history today, still continue to exist to everyone’s excitement and amazement without fail. The temple complex is much spacious unlike anywhere and it has three typical towers to invite us inside the temple and each one is in a kind and distinguishes.

The main structure of the temple lies in the middle of the complex which draws into a fortress walls built in 16th century. The fort complex is fortified by three layers of wall protection and the whole structure and premises are built with granite stones. As soon we cross the first layer, the temple elephant welcomes us with blessing and led by a stone path to the second layer where the 3 story tower exposes with beautiful sculptors in sandalwood color.

The space between the layer 2 and 3 is grass hold and least crowded as it hold the place to leave footwear’s and wash out feet. Alike the 2nd layer, the 3rd one is also a 3 story tower displaying sculptors and thus being evening the tower expose to sunlight produces a striking tone to it. The setting down of sun with it rays flashing from behind the big temple, remarks the beauty of the structure with its gleaming background and thus a spirit silhouette to exist.

As we enter the vast corridor of the temple complex, the striking sunlight on the small temple tower excites me to capture the sculptures to the nature’s sodium light! It was very bright to remind that the main temple tower was ones completely covered by golden plates, which were stolen by those captured the temple later by war or by the own predecessors. The structure of the temple lies on the basement of a large platform, which holds a huge Nandi (bull statue) in front of the sanctum, under a mandabam and this was the stage lately witnessed the 1000 bharatanatyam dancers to commemorate its millennium.

The main temple tower elevated by cone is one marvelous structure to be known as tallest among temples in South India and getting near is one nearly option to realize how spellbind and tiny we are before its grand structure. I was quite admiring the temple structure in astonishment by nothing to think about except imagining the things how the narratives of history describes the past of this building process. From every direction the building exhibits the scholar of the cholas and there thoughts, art and culture to be brought into a structure.

There are few shrines behind and beside the temple dedicated to various gods and the main temple is dedicated to Lord Siva. There is another marvelous shrine behind the temple to wonderfully carve around by pillars and sculptures; and in a sort it describes the art. The temple has old Tamil inscriptions around its base stones and it is said to describe about temple and things related to it and been written in ancient Tamil, reading or understand the inscriptions is not easy with our customary language.

The setting of sun and due to temple’s tone it attracts a lot to capture with eyes and lens to store in memory. The temple complex has an inner corridor along the fortress walls and the walls depict the ancient art and culture of Chola dynasty and related to Tamil literature. Beside the corridor, a beautiful lawn is maintained to add greenery to the temple complex and it’s awesome to watch the temple tower in day or night – due to lights, the nights turn glorious to check the temple – from the lawn.

After a patient dusk, the temple dawns to the sodium lights and moon to add delight, it was wonderful to check the temple complex again to relish the amazing structure. It’s easy to see the people come in nights, take their own time to admire the temple and taking down the lawn they zest themselves with families and kids. Taking a brief look across the complex, telling myself that I will be back with more restfully moments, we moved out to see a dry moat and one of the Kaveri’s Branch Rivers to flow fully beside the temple complex.

Hard work

While thinking something I get to think how things come from and a thought that always rise in me came to answer that everything is because of ‘hard work’. The hard work that done physical is behind everything and nothing comes easily without a stress.

Today everything has turned mechanize and computerized, but still there is something called hard work being built behind the machineries and each machine depends on either, hooked like a chain which is in hands of hard workers. I believe if we dug deep into a machine, it will end up at the hands of labors, who hard work.

Around the world, the hard workers are not getting there real worth for their cause and almost goes to the owners who just own things. I just see it through my eyes and feel it through my sense, that those don’t know what hard work means and never care about it, survives with joy and celebrate in parties. Those who hard work works all along there life, ill treated by owners and managers, and infamous and rich keep them under service.

I sense what hard work means even thought I don’t do anything hard, and for me every movement is hard work and I know because I go through the moments that unbearable stress being borne by my parents to give me life everyday. I believe the hard work never and should not fail, and it brings smile on our face and makes life easier.

Basically all comforts come from hard work and our lives are bound to be.

An attempt in gardening

(click pictures for enlarge)

I was wishing to have some flowing plants lately and were waiting sometime to head nursery to purchase the saplings. On Monday we visited a nursery on ECR to buy some rose plants and others, and brought half a dozen plants and pot and arranged it on the terrace that evening. The nursery has much rose plants that looks alike arranged for a flower show and the place itself looks greener. The red hibiscus was much striking and has an away look and structure in flower.

(clicked at nursery)

( first bud yet to bloom after arriving home)

We bought Kashmir and button roses, hibiscus, and jasmine and honey plant. I’m much interested looking at the buds to bloom and watering the plants and seeing the beauties is peace and pleases to mind and thus waiting to see how colorful it could turn my eyes in near future. It was something my dream of having a garden in home and I’m eager for more colorful flowers in pots to fill my surrounding.

(a striking red hibiscus in the nursery and a moth resting on its petal)

While turning back home, we went to beach and it was deserted as well it was sun shining still to inverse the crowd. As we parked the vehicle near the water body, after long time I was seeing the waves crashing the shore, where the local boys having fun in water. There are families too playing in the water while beating the striking sun and the high tides that trying hard to rise ashore. It was the day after the tsunami warning went across the ocean due to underwater earthquake in Indonesia and it was something to see how deserted our beaches are that haven’t been closely before.

Silhouette parrot

The parrot was taken refrain a branch of the gulmohar one evening and kept on cleansing its body with its beak sometime. As usual I was getting breezy outside the terrace and watching birds chirping around, I saw this parrot sitting on a branch, lonely, while others flying above the sky as habitually.

I brought the camera actually to capture the mynas, that where taking refrain side by side on a branch, but before I click back, they flew away and the parrot came alone. As it was sunset taking west and I was facing it thus, captured the parrot that fell into black along the branches. Just to make an impression, I add white color to the grey background.

p.s Thought it was pleasant at present, there was something (I don’t want to say) annoyance going along, that stops me from blogging quite sometimes. I can’t avoid even when it showcase its true face that anguish and general visage that often express love and desire. I wonder were gone these thus when I was struck with phase that cause great distress and fear. I just want to say in front of these faces, but I no more bear strength to rip and I will never get peace by hurting these and expressing my emotions, but I learn every time what relationships mean through these that happens occasionally on vacations.

Sparrows

Leaving back memories, the house bird sparrows flew far away and become a rare species in cities. There are days as child trying to catch the sparrows that often visit our balconies and sometimes they built there hay nest in space within pillars and sewage pipes. It’s so nice seeing those small sparrows, sitting in a line on the cable wires that pass across the streets and pierce to feed grain left over the balcony.

Today I see sparrows that are two times larges than those similar ones in light brown and grayish color with tiny beaks. There sweet twitters are something lost reflecting in ears that I can’t recall back in memories. Turn over of large trees and green space into skyscrapers and concrete floors, and lose of time in human to feed grains, the birds drew away from city.

Sparrows are some species survive along human habitation and what all affect us reflects in them and thus the change in lifestyle and passion disturbed there dwelling. Even in late 90s sparrows were spread across in city independently and it was very short in time and period they went invisible almost. They always pick there place for nesting is inside or at the entrance of homes, storehouses and elsewhere people residing. In villages, people tie a bunch of paddy at there home entrance to treat the little birds the grains and to help nesting.

I find some sparrows in valparai surviving along the people dwelling and a sparrow had nested above the shutter of a musical store in a bustle road, where they wander freely and friendly with people at stretching hands end. I wished then I had few of them around my place. Then one morning, I saw a lonely sparrow sitting on a flower pot in the front yard of Solaiyar house and later when I check the capture, the background came in as a surprise with the curved lane of the Sholayar dam. These birds are small, and shares very small space in our neighbor and thinking about them is nostalgia.