Skywatch Friday

Last Sunday I went out for a drive on ECR (east coast road) after long time and I could see many changes en-route, which I took last while travelled to Kodai in March. We made a drive till Mamallapuram and amazingly the entire road was empty and was unlike a regular Sunday, where people throng at various amusement and tourist spots along the scenic highway. Perhaps, this unusualness is because of the early Red Alert by the Indian Metrological dept. warning that Sunday would witness heavy rainfall across the state should have put off planning a weekend trip by many. But the warning was withdrawn on Saturday and the Sunday was quite a pleasant day, and as we drove out by evening it wasn’t hot and the sky was far blue with clouds making lovely presence. About 6pm the sun hides away, leaving back some pretty and colourful twilight skies what you could see in the photos and as we come across the Great Salt Lake area, the sky opens up for great views and the palms scored well at foreground.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Ganesh Chaturthi Post and Use of Camera

Post mom’s surgery I haven’t gone anywhere and while she healed well, began the renovation work at home keeps me away from traveling or even head out for the nearest beach.  Our car went for service at my uncle’s workshop; taking more than 2 months for a complete checkout, was also a reason prevents me going out. I also haven’t used my camera much these days, since I started to use iPhone taking photos using camera has come down, though I love capturing through camera and enjoy focusing which I don’t content with phone camera. After my travel in March to Kodaikanal, I seldom took out the camera for shoot and only last month I tried to capture some nice photos on the idol of Ganesh that bought for Ganesh Chaturthi. At night I focused on the Ganesh procession that came on our street, from the temple on same. But there too iPhone took prior! Following are photos shot on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Here come the clay idol of Ganesh that dad bought for the Ganesh Chaturthi, from the temporary shops that come up along the main road during the festival times. Though being an atheist, I do like anything that comes up beautiful and decorative and moreover I don’t want to keep away or deny what’s happening around me although my belief is different. For last few years the idols bought doesn’t had a real shape of Ganesh or features to be consider except the two eyes in red black seeds. But this year the seeds are missing and the Ganesh had his face painted in watercolors to look pretty good and shape was also fine. Later he was decorated by mom using flowers and jewels.

Following same evening the clay idol was dissolved in a bucket of water, a custom we have been practicing for last 10 years back, instead dropping at river or sea what we had done earlier and many still follows. I really don’t like idols immersed at beaches or any water body to pollute it environment. I love beaches and never want to see its beauty being spoiled and the number of idols, either made of clay or plaster of parries or whatever materiel damaging the beach or river front. I have seen many clay idols of Ganesh are thrown along the beach sand rather drop at sea, take lot of time and work to clear all. Keep this in mind, I suggest my parents to follow this way (of dissolving the idol in a bucket of water) and use the water for gardening, perhaps this won’t interrupt their faith.

The same night, a cart procession takes place at our street from the Ganesh temple, at the street end, and the decorated idol was pulled around the streets where people come out of their house and offer prayers. When the procession comes across our home I tried to capture some photos between the interruption of people and the result was above. There are two Ganesh temples in our area, but this time only one has come up with procession and they really done a nice decoration where the Ganesh was seated on a mice idol (his divine vehicle) with gold coated rope and whip in hands. The picture below was shot by mom from the front of the procession where Ganesh seen seated on mice chariot, and in another shot was the priest sitting on the cart doing pooja.  

At last moved into our home

As we planned to move to our newly renovated home in the 2^nd week of September, I agreed for the transfer of our broadband internet, which took place in few hours of contact with the Airtel network on Sep 12, but the work delay at the home took more than 10 days and we really moved on Sep 24 with still bits of carpentry work. The move wasn’t quite happy and we were in frustrated mood because of the work delay, dragging workers and loss of money and I can’t still believe a renovation (that too doesn’t have enough work) would take such long time of 3 months. Things continue for arrangement with little works taking place on each room, we kept clearing and rearranging things for our comfort, for the whole week. Few of our wood furniture were still lying on the terrace for varnish; the guys who left incomplete haven’t turned for last few days. We spent more than a week at our previous house without air condition (since we shifted it earlier with the available of serviceman) had been nightmares and was able to sleep only past mid-night when weather turns better. 

A week had passed since we shifted to our renovated home and I get good enough sleep here and there isn’t any difficulties to complain about other than the interruption of carpentry work, I went for an evening walk yesterday using the hydraulic lift  to climb down (from the first floor home) for first time after lifted up. The thing I find bit annoy was the little noisy environment here. Since we moved out 13 year ago, the houses we lived these years’ adjoined peaceful environments and our previous house in backstreet was also surrounded by silence.  Our house is located on the main street that was connected by four other streets make almost vehicle passing through it, keeps away the silent mode. But except mid-morning and evening, I could feel peace and quiet at moments. Though a week passed, I couldn’t take any neat photos on the home or to say anything placed exactly to show up. Hope everything settles at places by the weekend and only the outer wall painting was in pending. And I could continue blog from now and I leave with the picture of my pretty window view.

On house shifting mode... will blog very soon. Wifi cut off and I’m not comfort with mobile blogging. See u soon

Overrun Smartphones

Smartphones rules is what everyone would accept all-round. There’s lot of benefits using smartphones and it’s almost a pocket computer connected with internet, which means reaching every nook and corners of the world. But at same time there are many addicted to the device which means of killing themselves if they lost or someone prevent them from using smartphones. Though everyone beyond age difference uses smartphones, the young girls are so much attached to the gadgets where even they would drop their boyfriends but not their smartphones. I read news in paper where a marriage has been cancelled in Uttar Pradesh, when the bridegroom family learns that the bride is addicted to Whatsapp and was always online, sending messages nonstop to their family members. Additional news I read today was a judge at Jharkhand court has investigated a case through Whatsapp, for what the Supreme Court has condemn.

I think the smartphones and social networking is overrunning its need and we are out of touch from the real caress and brush. I feel our basic sense is challenged as we continue to rely on smartphones; our relationships are affected to a state of broke down. There’s a woman works as a housemaid at the neighbour’s house and she often brings her daughter along to perhaps help her and she looks like someone in her late teen and school dropped, held the phone always in her ear. Sometime she was loud talking passing our home and was also bold in uttering words that most would hold secret. There’s a young lady at the opposite house who used to keep talking once entered a call and go on walking the street until she end the call. She used to sit outside her home in evenings with mobile while her son plays around she keep doing messaging with an eye around. There’s another young mother in neighbour’s house who do the same whenever seen but from an iPad, which almost cover her side face. And I really wonder how she holds that size always in hand and up to the ear.

As I talk about others, I couldn’t give a miss to one of my cousin who’s always on her smartphone.  She keeps away her mobile is pretty rare and sometime use it even while at charge. Her mobile frequently beep with message notifications and she’s couldn’t do anything or look tense until checkout what’s up. I know two ladies who’re always on smartphone. Though we are friends in Facebook, they the sis-in-laws of my maternal aunt is so much used to smartphones and one of them is intense where she continues to share whatever forwarded to her. Other day the both came to our house to invite for one of their newly built home, where I noticed they don’t let down their mobiles. Both aged above 50, their devotion to smartphone is really wondering. I too use smartphone and more lately but I’m not a kind or influenced by the smartphone to keep on checking. There are days I unchecked the phone and I’m not an instant responder to any notification or message. Perhaps my online friends circle is small and mostly built on blog friends; I don’t get frequent messages and updates that much. There’s another cousin of mine who used to hang on mobile and he also carry a power bank along! I may sound complaining and I know that everyone’s part of this company but overworking may result in some other way unhealthy and we should make certain the smartphones doesn’t overrun our intelligence or make feel numb.