Monday, February 22, 2016
Saturday, February 20, 2016
From this moment on...
There are innumerable moments in
life but remembering one particular moment where I took oath to do or not
something is pretty hard to recollect. I haven’t took anything serious to
remember a moment but there are certain places, in the journey of life, the
collection of phases from different time moment converts me to be like this and
that. I love traveling from the beginning and I could not sleep well (in the
excitement) whenever I know I’m going to travel by next day but until 2006 or
before started bogging I wasn’t passionate on traveling. I bought internet
connection in 2003-04 mainly for learning about places and checking it
virtually as I could not go to see all the places due to my immobility, at
least let me explore the places online.
Pic by Jeevan |
In Dec 2005, we bought an
apartment flat and moved out of our native house, and during that event my
uncle captured some photos with his digital camera which I uploaded in my
computer and shared on the blog. This was the turning point and the feel I got
by sharing photos and friend’s feedback inspired me to show more interest on
photography. Then on I kept looking forward for a camera to shoot and share. At
this moment, understanding my interest, my cousin’s conveyed my desire to his
father who in return giveaway his camera to me and thus began the journey, the
inspiration for the travel. The May 2006 Kodaikanal vacation ignites both the
interest and rather taking portraits and group photos my passion for nature
shoot began there.
But the real excitement of
photography and traveling begin in year 2008, when I upgraded to 8 megapixel
camera from the mere 3 mp and the micro mode in that makes feel delight shooting
items on close distance and getting enriched detail. The Valparai visit on the
same year was my first adventure travel and wild shooting. And writing about my
experience and narrating the stories of traveling was another exciting phase I
always look forward to relive the moments through words and photos. To say from
this moment on, photography and traveling has transformed my intention of
living and my blogging style also become different from just knowledge and
facts based posts. And to say from this moment on, blogging has changed me so much
and gave some hope to look forward in life.
For A Week for Writing: Prompt 97 - From this moment on
For A Week for Writing: Prompt 97 - From this moment on
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Sunbeam
image:google |
a sunbeam peeking into my bedroom
through the window’s pane
trying hard to reveal my secrets
without knowing it has censor panels.
Perhaps in the wildest of dream
anything is possible, under the blanket,
unless you become a partner in life
whoever it may be – even the sunbeam
doesn’t have the privilege to unveil.
anything is possible, under the blanket,
unless you become a partner in life
whoever it may be – even the sunbeam
doesn’t have the privilege to unveil.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
A walk back in memory and demise of my friend’s father!
One of my childhood friends
father passed away on Friday and he’s not only my friend’s father but a long
time neighbor and family friends whose relationship were grown from my
grandparents generation. Karthi and Vela are our (me and bro) best childhood
friends and our friendship lasted for very long time but only Karthi was in
touch with me and even after we shifted our home a decade back we used to
enquire every time meeting either. But after shifted back to the neighborhood
(close to our native house here) a year back, I happen to meet him often while
coming around the neighborhood in the wheelchair by evenings, and I also meet
his father while crossing his home where he used to be reading newspaper
sitting outside his home. I can’t believe he’s no more! Even few days before
his death, he inquired me on walk – what they refer me to be out in wheelchair
and he showed no sign of demise. A severe cardiac arrest, all of sudden, ceased
his breath.
To describe our relationship, I
need to go back to the childhood days and back from school most of our evenings
were spent at their home front (which was at our backstreet), playing with our
best friends – Karthi and Vela. During those times he used to come back from
work, pedalling his bicycle but we continue engage with the play and I showed
little or no attention towards him unlike his bike. He was working in a private
company and his only mode of commute to work was in bicycle, the traditional
one aka utility bicycle. A classmate of my uncle (dad’s brother), he’s a very
family man and irrelevant to anything outside his family and showed great care
for his children and though economically backward he was more concern about
their studies and health. For any ailment he would take them to the ESI
(Employees’ State Insurance) hospital, which is a self-financing social
security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers with less income. Placing
one in front and back, he used to pedal them to the hospital. The way he fed
his son with cough syrup is still vivid in my memories J
His elder son and my friend Vela
is a very intelligent student and so bright in studies. I have seen him even
correcting his classmates’ exam notes that were given to him by their school
teacher and he was such genuine in his assignment showing no favor to anyone even
if they are his close friends. Being family friends, his father treated us no
different and we even had fun playing at their bed room, jumping here and there
and he never scold us anyone. One time, he took me to beach along with his sons
in the bicycle; putting his younger one in the baby seat in front; me and Vela
shared the rear carrier. We had fun playing at the beach sand and the duo went
against the waves to take bath in sea and a scare being, I decided to stay back
in shore taking care of their things while they enjoy the waves. Anytime he
sees me, he never fails to enquire and also tease me sometime with nothing ill
inside. Moreover, I ever seen him serious and an easy going personality really
makes me wonder what cause him heart attack. I know a person’s attitude doesn’t
expose on his health but ignorance plays an important role and being unaware of
the causes and symptoms of heart attack pull us into trouble that leads to
nothing but death.
I know he has experienced mild
stroke in past that forced him to drop his security job, after the company he
worked was shut down or he left the job. The only complaint or disappoint I
hold for him was that he stayed away from his mother due to some personal
regrets related to their transformation from thatched house to a concrete floor.
I have watched through their building home and destruction of the former, but
my connectivity with the friends (Karthi and Vela) and visit to their house has
diminished slowly as my mobility become restricted, the diversion in lifestyle
brought each ends loose and tied somewhere. But shifting back to the native
neighborhood makes me feel of reconnecting and creates chances to keep in
touch… but I didn’t expect this disconnection from him quite. I really forget
to say about his wife, who has been a great support to their family not only by
love and affection and caring but also economically she aided by grinding flours
to others who can’t do themselves at their
home. Hope his family and my
friends gather strength to bear his lose.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Carnation of India
In our previous house, we had
couple of Crape Jasmines aka Moonlight or Carnation of India along the side
walk. Native to India, the evergreen shrubs thrive with beautiful pinwheel
shaped flowers has dark green leaves and pointed edge. Also known as Nandiar
Vattai in Tamil, the shrub grows up to 4-6 feet in height with spread of 6 feet,
blooms throughout the year and has flowers in 5 petals clustered to the stem
tips. The roots and stem of the shrub has multiple medical benefits and
interestingly the flowers of the single form are unscented rather than the
double form with pleasant fragrance!
Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Dream of Love
I know she will never exist
but I continue to dream about her
and she is my best companion
and diversion from distress.
but I continue to dream about her
and she is my best companion
and diversion from distress.
It’s a dream that not come while asleep
but keep me awake even at sleeping state,
a shadow continue to steal my space
whether it was sunlight or moonlit.
but keep me awake even at sleeping state,
a shadow continue to steal my space
whether it was sunlight or moonlit.
I’m uncertain about her physique
but she’s beautiful in every aspect
adapting modernity and tradition,
bearing a mind-set closely exists to mine.
but she’s beautiful in every aspect
adapting modernity and tradition,
bearing a mind-set closely exists to mine.
There’s love, embrace and understanding
but I continue to look forward to her
to begin a course of romance
at our secret meets at street end café.
but I continue to look forward to her
to begin a course of romance
at our secret meets at street end café.
Monday, February 08, 2016
RGB Monday
I see more than a shade of red, green and blue there!
(Click pic for enlarge) |
The picture was shot at
Kodaikanal pointing at a shop that sells cloths along the Lake Road, and looks
like the salesman was looking for customer. It was late evening when I shot the
photo, while waiting opposite to the shop to have some tea in the cold weather
and the shop was illuminated and the cloths
where enhancing to shoot in different colors. Being a hill-station the shop
sells dresses that suit for cold season and you could see t-shirts, sweaters, jackets
and jerkins there and he also sells colorful scarfs to wear around the neck.
Labels:
colorful,
Focus,
Fun,
Hill station,
Picture,
RGB Monday
Saturday, February 06, 2016
Indian Palm Squirrel
On a palm tree! The picture was shot
at my previous house and the squirrel was running vertically up and down on the coconut palm tree of the neighbor's. The Indian palm squirrel also known as three-striped palm squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family of Sciuridae and it is found naturally in India and Sri Lanka.
I think Saturdays and squirrels
have a link between, because I listening to squirrels chitter mostly on Saturdays.
It doesn’t begin now, but from the childhood days I happen to listen to squirrels
mostly on Saturdays and that doesn’t mean I don’t hear them on any other days. During
my childhood days my parents usually take us to Anantha
Padmanabha Swami Temple
every Saturday after visiting the Vinayagar temple at Adyar signal, I used to watch
squirrels running here and there and chittering along the corridor.
There’s an almond tree on the
rear of the sanctum from where the squirrels come into the temple premises and
unlike now, the temple used to be empty and calm enough to hear the squirrels shrill
clearly. I also used to pick up the almond leaves that fall to the ground after
being ripen and bring it to home and have breakfast in it as the leaf was big
enough to hold a idly. Sometime I go to tuition on Saturdays (then) and listen
to squirrels chitter from the trees nearby the tuition teacher’s home making a
diversion from studies. Whenever I hear
squirrels chittering and knowing it was Saturday I am linked back to memories
automatically and today is one of those days where I listen to squirrels.
Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS
Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS
Friday, February 05, 2016
Friday Review: 49-O
The comedy king of Tamil cinema, Goundamani,
has reappeared in a movie after long back and also led the film titled 49-O. The
movie released in Sep 2015 deals with the state of farmers and fertile lands being
transformed into housing plots though political satire. Goundamani as the protagonist
haven’t come back to do a regular comedy role as hero, which most comedians prefer
do to these day but acted prudentially in a serious character along his counter
dialogues for what he’s famous for.
Goundamani is a genuine farmer
and believes that fertile land is the future, oppose to the farmers decided
to sell their fertile land to a real estate company but their poverty forced
them to go ahead with the decision and later deceived by the company and local
politician. The people realizes their mistake and to help farmers get back
their lands, Goundamani come with a plan of promoting his own fertile land but
instead of making housing plots he develops graveyards, beside the lands of farmers to
block the business of the company.
As another step to regain their fertile
land, they decides to sell their votes instead of politicians fix the amount, usually,
they come up with a sum to be paid for vote. Later they nominate their own candidate
and propagate for his victory against the local politicians… but unfortunately
he was murdered. At that moment, Goundamani starts a pioneering movement and how
did that help them to regain their fertile lands is rest of the story. Like one
man army, Goundamani bears the entire movie and his age isn’t an issue while his
energy level on entertainment front is still adequate.
With simple story, Goundamani’s
strong dialogue delivery and script writing upholds the farmer’s struggles and
political satire as the highlight of the scenario. The land promoters has been
excoriated a lot and much of illusions relevant to the fake promises by them has
been revealed in fun manner. The music/songs and cinematography has been
average, but nothing to complain about and many scenes have been straightforward
so the film concludes in less than 2 hours. The movie is worth watching for the
strong social message that supports the value system of farming and re-entry of
Goundamani - for his political counter!
Btw. 49-O is a rule referred to The
Conduct of Elections Rules in Indian, a procedure to be followed when a valid
voter decides not to cast his vote and decides to record this fact.
Labels:
Agriculture,
Entertainment,
Farmer,
Film,
movie,
People,
Politics,
Review,
Society,
Tamil Nadu,
Village
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
Kanniamman Temple, Kovalam
During one of my visits to
Kovalam Beach, near Chennai, I got to capture this temple tower from the
parking lot. The temple called as Kanniamman Kovil is built close to the shore,
though the temple tower looks fading, I find it beautiful along the pretty blue
sky. I was there on a Sunday evening and it was crowded and people where coming
in and out making it look like an exhibition with few merry go around kind of
things. For the people around this area, Kovalam beach is an entertainment place
to spend their Sunday evenings.
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