Caption this...

The rains beckon...

Well, the owner of that store claimed it's named after a famous mouse we know!!! ;)

Golfing in Cairo...

Believe it or not, the Golf Course in Cairo shares a fence with the Pyramids of Giza!! Golfing behind one of the original Seven Wonders of the World is a unique experience!!!

Sunrise in Sion...

The sun rising between the one of the many "man made mountains" of Mumbai and the natural Western Ghats!!

Haji Ali, Mumbai

Time:5 a.m. in the middle of summer
Time: 5 p.m. in the middle of monsoons

Amore

Location: Outside Amore.. the Ice-cream place

Life as it is...

Treasuring Sunrise...

Tall Shadows!! :)

By far the most unique way to binge on a Gurukripa Samosa: Samosa Cone

And it rained... again

Everyone's prepared for the rains now... the autorickshaws are armed too...

Flamenco Fiesta...

Quoting from Wikipedia, about the 18th Century:
"During this period of development, the "flamenco fiesta" developed. More than just a party where flamenco is performed, the fiesta, either unpaid (reunion) or paid, sometimes lasting for days, has an internal etiquette with a complex set of musical and social rules. In fact, some might argue that the cultural phenomenon of the flamenco fiesta is the basic cultural "unit" of flamenco."


Well, I'm finally posting about Flamenco of Andalusia, Southern Spain. I witnessed it in Seville. What struck me first, was the immense stamina and skill required to perform this complex foot tapping dance. Flamenco is expressed through the toque -- the playing of the flamenco guitar, the cante (singing), and the baile (dancing). A widespread misconception about this art is that the dance the essence of Flamenco but the truth is that it is the unique music that is the heart of this art form. I felt the music had an lovely Arabic touch to it. The singer rhythmically clapped her hands giving a wholesome effect to the experience. The dance is characterised by the emotional sweeping of the arms and rhythmic stomping of the feet. While the dancers put a lot of practice into their art form, the dances are not choreographed, but are improvised along the palo or rhythm. The picture I clicked in Seville shows the two dancers appreciating the singer and the guitarist.

Quoting Kahlil Gibran from "The Prophet". One of the most inspirational pieces I've come across.

Joy and Sorrow

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Egypt...

Egypt... a mystical land with a fascinating history... its not just about the Pyramids and Mummies. Its also about the ancient temples, an army of Gods and Goddesses and hieroglyphics that have not been interpreted totally till date... Above is the photo of the facade of a typical Egptian temple. (to be specific, the Karnak temple) and below is the view from our ship on the Nile... the rippling water, greenery, the desert and blue sky, all in one.

And it rained...

This little fellow preferred the umbrella below his feet than above his head as he enjoyed the first shower here :)

It's finally started raining in Bombay!!! :D Well I'm not too fond of this weather but it most certainly is a relief after the raging heat. The first glimpses of this weather are what I'm particularly fond of. Little kids jumping in the puddles of the first shower, sparkling droplets of water trickling down green leaves after the first shower, birds flying for shelter from the unexpected rain and the cool breeze blowin onto your face as you stretch your hand out of the window to feel the water on your fingertips.

May the rain be with you...

A polka dotted multicoloured umbrella half the size of a standard umbrella still used by an 18 year old friend of mine despite the fact that it leaves your back totally wet if you want to protect your face. here's a tribute to that adorable umbrella that sheltered half of me many a time and more importantly gave many of us loads to laugh about. I managed to locate an original picture...

http://tychefortuna.blogspot.com/2008/05/may-rain-be-with-you.html

BSS Mahim...

My Alma Mater... the school I grew up in... Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, as seen from the top of Hinduja Hospital opposite. The North and South Blocks, the New Building, the football field and the Banyan tree...whose tresses we'd swing blissfully on during those much awaited breaks...

Amby Valley

Amby Valley... truly paradise in India... with a brilliant golf course and just the right weather... again a photographer's delight and a golfer's too...

Animal rights.. they say!!

Hmmm, you probably imagine a bullfight to follow the rule, "May the best man.. or beast win..." but Spanish Bullfighting is not so.. no matter how bold, powerful or furious the bull, it must die after 20 minutes of torture. Here's how the bullfight proceeds: There are 3 tercios, or parts separated by horn signals... first the bull is taunted by 6 bullfighters waving the capote... the pink and yellow cloth you see in the above picture. Now enter the two picadores on horseback(the horses are blindfolded and armoured) armed with a sort of lance. As the bull charges towards the horse, the picadore attacks and lowers its blood pressure by piercing its back with his lance. Then 3 banderilleros stab the attacking bull with a pair of banderillas each. Now that the bull is weak and bleeding, the matador with his muleta, a red cloth and his sword enters and has to artistically show a so called domination over the bull and then kill it in one stroke through its heart. If it does not die, as in many cases, out come the other bullfighters to remove the sword so the matador can try and try until he suceeds. Then, he parades round the stadium with the ears of the bull. Its outright cruelty!!

Golf in Andalucia...

A typical Andalucian golf course lined with wild flowers... a photographer's delight and a golfer's too... located in Cadiz, Spain

Going bananas...

My aunt found him when he was a few days old, hurt and abandoned by his mother, he's now 2 years old!! Its amazing how he reacts to instructions in tamil, mood swings and music!!!

IITB on a Monday morning..

It's amazing how all the species at IIT are in a hurry to go somewhere or the other... what's missing here are the dogs that you find all over... and of course "the endangered species" :P (one happened to click this pic) and no; panthers do not hit the roads on monday mornings...

Lakeside :)

One of my favourite spots at IITB...

i love photography...

Chocolate... i believe its therapeutic.. cures a bad mood like very few things can...

Tulip or a rose?

Lakeside at IITB...