Jellies, Nemos and Roaches

On one such visit to Norwalk, CT, my colleague and me ended up visiting an aquarium for lack of something better to do. And we were pleasantly surprised. My favourite were Jellies. They are actually 95% of water and very calm and soothing on the nerves. Or maybe thats how they were presented.

Another pretty picture to look at were these colourful Nemos. Quick movements and turns and responding to the tap on the glass wall.

Imagine having cockroaches under the scanner. Well, these were sort of different. Though dont remember exactly how.

Wanted to share and well, sort of document this before my memory fades away. Sometimes, when you look at the pictures, atleast thats what happens with me, there is a nostalgia and a smile on one's lips... but I somehow miss the entire story!!!

Crows

Crows, Worli Seaface, Mumbai

Aligned, Cacaphonus, Scavengers,Omnious, Survivors.

Broken Down Car

 

Near Mahim Station, Mumbai

Noted this broken down car near the Mahim Station Wall in Mumbai. Ready to be dismantled and discarded. Been lying here for quite sometime. This was a mobile shot taken from a taxi. What makes it interesting to me is the battered and tattered condition of the car along with the interesting wall art on the station wall. It sort of gives a character to the condition of the car. The car has been removed recently from the spot. Everytime I cross the road, I see the wall art cartoon but I miss the car!!!

Wall Art

Wall Art, Mahim Station Wall, Mumbai

I try to capture unique or random things or moments on cell phone. This is one of them. Painted on the wall of Mahim Station. Remains of a city activity which had once allowed its citizens to particpate by painting the walls... which most of the times are in its worst state of maintenance. Liked the geometry of this wall art and how it attracts your attention without giving any particular message...well thats how I look at it. Am sure thats not what the painter had in mind but nevertheless, putting it up here to share...

Sunshine

Extended Stay Americas, Norwalk, CT

 

Morning sunshine...

Rushing through my window...

Waking me up from a deep slumber...

Wishing me a very lazy Good morning!!!

Road to Rome

Leh Ladakh Highway, Kashmir, India

All roads lead to Rome...

Seriously!!!!

Happy Feet

The weekend went by...in utter laziness... Hubby dearest wanted to go on a hike to Lonavla...then to Pune...and back to Mumbai after a day...but me - was in no mood to oblige :-P...perhaps the following weekend!!!

And the picture you see up above, yes - its weird, I have a thing for feet together :-P... like the way sometimes they hang out together... Well to begin with I thought I'd update you about the weekend I had... it was a mix of things...and then while writing I put up this photo and it reminded me of all the pictures I had taken of "feet" per se!!!!

The feet you see in this picture belong to my friend Ekta and me. It was while sitting on the rocks at Kashid Beach I had taken this picture. I remember her telling me, "Its weird"... but I took one nevertheless...advantages of a digicam I guess....We had gone there to celebrate the new years...the end of the year 2005.  The one below, the feet are mine. The footwear you see, used to be a favourite with the students at the point of time. Yes - Rs. 100 only...from Hongkong Lane at Fergussen College Road.

The feet you see above belong to 5 girls. Our girl gang that is. Taken at my birthday. Its a ritual to cut the cake, play Holi with whatever you get in the middle of the night. Well - these belong to Ekta, Shobha, Soumya, Megha and myself. Yes - we are that crazy...to even pose for it.

 This one is of Munish and me...at a small dam at Matheran. There are steps to it. Had gone there one of the weekends. Its my foot over his :-). I think its pretty cute.

These are mine. The chappals are from Goa. Goa has amazing chappals and even amazing shorts. For shorts - Goa is the place to buy it from. I know, of all the things in Goa, I recommend buying Shorts :-P. Oh  yes - the picture was clicked in Nagaon, Alibaug. 

This one was at Baga Beach, Goa. Had gone there with my friend Megha. Last day, lazing on the sunbed. Killing time until we had to leave Goa. Yes - I remember it was a Sunday. Sad and disheartened over going to work the next day.

Had set out to write something totally different. Please ignore this post and do NOT stop reading my blog since I am guessing it would not make sense looking at feet and their locations for some but I sure did enjoy writing about it. 

The moon

Clicked almost 2 years back in the shivering evening cold of the Ladakhi mountains. Its my agenda to go back there again. Once is simply not enough. Time and again, I keep going back there...in my mind. 

Well, we had this picture enlarged, printed and framed. But it was framed upside down and well - we realized it only 2 weeks later when a friend point it out :-). Well, it is difficult to make out - I think. Until, you look at it more closely and see the tall grass on the bottom left hand side. 

But yes, looking at the moon, in the shivering evening cold, was a very soothing effect. A paradox in itself. 

Through the glass pane

I miss the evenings. Largely to the kind of work I am occupied with. This view is from my office window, through a huge glass pane. You can see the reflection of the lights, some partial construction on the left, a lamp post raising its head and a road going amidst the construction and the trees. On looking closely, you may see orange in between the green. Those are the flowers on the tree. I think its a breed of the Gulmohar. Not sure. Need to find out.  It had been raining the day I took this picture. The picture is a bit hazy with the condensation on the glass. 

Yes - I miss the evenings but treasure the mornings I get in return. So the mornings are not rushed...well - relatively. 

Flower plant

I have been a very successful plant killer...:-)yes -I have managed to kill a lot many plants either by watering too much or a wrong positioning in the sun or simply by sheer negligence.

But this plant beats me hands down. It grows and it grows and it flowers a lot which gives me immense happiness. Unfortunately, I do not know the name of this plant. Do you?

P.S. an updated pic. Apparently the one put before was not clear enough.

Patterns

Two weekends ago, now that sounds like "many many moons ago"!!!! :-), again - to begin again, two weekends go, Munish and me landed at Nagaon Beach, Alibaug. Alibaug is a very popular weekend getaway. Nagaon - a not so popular beach town near Alibaug and hence we had a great time... The weekend was spent in utter laziness with almost nothing to do :-). The resort we had put up at was full of coconut and palm trees, along with chikoos and mangoes, a small pool, table tennis, carrom board, a wonderful hammock..where we spent my afternoons snoozing away under the coconut tree and wonderful wonderful food. :-) To sum it all, it was short and sweet.

We would walk on the beach for hours...noticing the small crabs, the sea shells...trying to stay put in the shore...carving a small hole for themselves just so that they do not get carried away by the waves...the reflection of the trees, of us...on the watery beach... the sweet salty air...and the wonderful fried fish cooked by the village lady...the feeling yet lingers.

We tried capturing some of the patterns ..on the beach..patterns made by the sea and the sand and the sea - shells!!!

Let the sunshine in...

Open the doors... Let me in...

This picture was taken by Munish during one of our trips. Nice composition. Its only today that I got around to work on it. I miss this. 

I miss my blog too. There have been so many instances that I wanted to blog about a day, a wedding, work, movies, friends, plans...but somehow, I have not been able to make time for this. Whenever, anything of importance happens, I miss writing, I miss my blog. 

I want to spend more time here. Have not been able to. Would love to....

Until then...

Watching

I am watching you watching me...
I am waiting for you to make your move!

Picture by Munish Aggarwal

Take Me Home

Take Me Home....please!

I don't like it here

In a box

No open spaces, 

No woolen ball,

 Makes it hard to bear

No friendly faces,

No one at all.

I don't like it here

In a box

No shoe laces to pull

No one to pamper me

There's so much of lull

There's lack of glee

I don't like it here

In a box.

I have been here, All my life, 

Not too much of a memory,

Not much of an open sky,

Dont feel no happiness

However, much I try

I don't like it here

In a box.

There's no friends here,

No one to play,

No mices here, 

During my entire stay.

I don't like it here

In a box.

I want to play too,

On the green grass,

Under the sun,

With wool tangled in my paws,

Escape the dreary

conundrum,

Of my life in a box!

Cast in Stone

Krakow, Poland

We,

Stand alone, 

Cast in stone,

Staring at the passers by,

The rustle of the leaves that dry.

The hurrying wind so cold,

To play along - we are told!

The trees that sway with the wind

Flutter of the pigeons that sing

Silent, stony notes are rhymed

There is no track of time.

We are captured for the nth number

Are we awake or in slumber!

The pose we strike, Angles alike, 

The picture stays, memories linger!

Of us, 

Cast in stone,

We stand alone!

The Sheep and the Shepherd

Its been more than a year and half since I last visited Ladakh. Had been wanting to do that ever since I saw my dad's photographs and visits. Must say, its all about the roads. There are close to 2000 photographs which we clicked. By the end of it all, we were so tired clicking. Everything was just so beautiful. But I maintain one regret. Actually two. Missed visiting the Nubra Valley and thanks to procrastination, never got around to working on those photographs. 

Before showing one of the photographs, I would like to give a little bit of a background around it. This photograph was taken en route from Srinagar to Leh. We had decided not directly landing in Leh, cause we had wanted to explore the awesome scenic beauty of the route, which was highly recommended to us. This pic was taken multiple times from different mountains and different vantage point. Although I might add, the final picture which was taken was not by default. It was an effort to capture in a speeding vehicle!!!

If you see closely, you can see little specks of white on the green patch, well those are sheep!!!

This is from another mountain, a top view...now logically if there are sheep, there should be a spheherd :-). I was looking out for him...

I zoom in more, and there - I am able to locate him...running after one of them...trying to get it back in the flock!

And while I use my minimalistic photoshop skills, I give you this :-)

All pics displayed here are under (c) Meghna Garg

With this trip, I realized the importance of travelling. So essential. So necessary. So fruitful.

Working on some other pictures as well, will post them as and when the opportunity arises!!!!

The smile

My father ,with respect to his work, has travelled in many a nook and corner of the country. . During his 3rd and recent visit this summer, I heard him complaining about how Ladakh has become so 'touristy'. He complained about so many people, so many vehicles and of course being an active environmentalist, the garbage that came along with the package.

(C)J K Garg, Aryan Valley, Ladakh

 This picture was taken at the Aryan Valley, Ladakh about 7 years back during his 2nd visit to that region. It was not 'touristy' then as it is now thanks to the movie 3 Idiots :-). At that time, I was doing my masters in college. Was truly enthralled by this picture. The smile on her lips. The rosy cheeks. Reminded me of a nursery poem way back in kindergarten. I guess, this is one of the best pictures he has ever taken and every now and then, whenever I look at the picture, I see the happiness in the little girl's smile, sitting in her grandfather's lap with a plastic doll in her hand posing for a stranger and smiling away to glory!!!!

Your warmth

Your Warmth, 

Protects me from the cold

Around Us!!!

Pic got clicked!!!! Yay!!!

A quick update :-). One of the two pictures (The blue morning) which I submitted in the previous post has been selected for the contest. I don't expect to win anything, but I am just plain happy :-).

Thank you sooooooo much folks!!!!

Link: http://adayinlife.timesofindia.com/photoDisplay.php?photoId=161955

A Day in the Life of India

The Times of India is running a photography contest "A Day in the Life of India". I have submitted two entries to this contest. Today was the last day. Not sure if I am up to the mark or not...but I guess I wanted to contribute...

This picture was taken at 5 AM in the morning at Nigeen Lake, Srinagar from our houseboat. I cannot put in words the serenity felt at that time. An Azaan was going on in a nearby Mosque. We were sipping tea when we witnessed this view. There has been no tricks played with the picture. Its just what we saw...don't know if "saw" is the right word for it but nevertheless.... Have contributed this pic for "Incredible India".

 

This picture shown below was clicked during our drive from Srinagar to Leh during one of the jams which we faced at the mountains. Have contributed this pic for "Overloaded India".