Canon EOS 40D, 1/80sec, f/1.4, 50mm, ISO 400, Bias: +2/3 EV
Yes you get to see them a lot in India. Well I don’t fancy them at all as I saw this a lot growing up there, but tell you what they still look fascinating. And in winter they are so nice to have around 
If you took the back streets of most Indian cities by dusk and early mornings you’d see them around. Coal is very cheap in India and there is plenty to go around. Burning coal for fire gives a very good heat and for a good few hours. Yes lot cheaper than gas too.
I love how this photo turned out. I thought I’d have blown highlights from the heat of the fire and would sure miss the detail on the utensils and surrounds. Prime lenses are always so good to have around!
I was seated very close to the exit row of the aircraft. Soon it touched down and we’re about to alight. In less than a couple of minutes I was walking past two officers with a live thermal imaging area. They were doing the swine-flu checks and then headed up to the immigration desk. I had a brand new passport… you’d think it’d suffice to see the valid new one but no they wanted to see the last one as-well. Lucky I was carrying the old one too.
Suddenly I felt more aware of the fact that I was *now* in India. Someone jumped the queue in-front of me very impolitely, Immigration officer didn’t bother about pleasantries waved his hand off gesturing me to move on towards the carousel. Someone jumped the queue again. People get really close to you when waiting in queues, in my case it was the carousel. Yes personal space isn’t a big thing here. I was in incredible India. Trolleying my way out I could see Rudra, Poulami and Leon waiting there for me Soon we hopped in a cab and reminiscing our childhood.
After a good week of Christmas and Boxing day jubilations I embarked on a short journey to India. It was on New Years Day. Who’d *ever* want to travel on New Years Day! Yes, well I did — and you’d be surprised the first leg of the flight from Sydney to Singapore was totally booked. So there I was at six in the morning catching a flight! Waking up the whole neighbourhood at five and troubling D, running through immigration kiosk, dashing toward the TRS (Tourist Refund Scheme) to claim my brand new Lens. Ah all that was easy and soon was strapped in my window seat waiting to disappear in the oblivion of blue. I stuck my nose in Judith Lucy’s ‘The Lucy Family Alphabets’ what a great book… Thanks D. Before long we’re descending into Singapore of what seemed a very pleasant flight.
Continue reading ‘India Trip 2010′
Rudra and I were talking a nostalgic walk through Hill Colony in Dhanbad, Jharkhand the other day when suddenly we decided it might be a good idea to go down to Locotank — a pond in Dhanbad. It was very close to sunset & we happened to spot a lady making ripples in the water. Could I’ve resisted the shot… the lady in red literally did the setting of the entire scene for me… all I had to do was frame and shoot. And I did!
We toddled off to Dhakhinapan late morning-ish the next day. It has a few shops and a some good local art emporiums. We browsed a bit and bought a few little handicrafts. Surprisingly the market place looked a wee bit quiet. We had to go through a security metal detector to get inside the market… And there was a guy standing right next to the door frame only to usher people to go through it. All visitors must step through the metal door frame but no signage to clearly indicate that. Of one of the highlights of the day was out of the blue dad wanted to weigh himself. Alright now if you know these public weighing machines in India they not only tell you your weight but also your fortune. Dad weighed himself and blamed the scaled for packing an extra 8 kilos but didn’t mind the fortune. Apparently it read that he was going to marry again… LOL. We had lots of laughter and were gushing with mirth.
Continue reading ‘Calcutta — the city of joy’
There is always something charming about going home. About visiting loved ones and spending time walking down the memory lane. Revisiting those smells and tastes of yester-years that are so natural to ones childhood. Its a walk through a mesh of life that is most nostalgic and filled with a labyrinth of beautiful meaning, confronting, joyous and full of life. You’ll know what I mean if you have been in a situation like mine but I think we all have in our own little ways.
Boarding a flight with 100 other Indians is no small feat and funny only in hindsight! Truly. What makes them so insolent is something I have pondered many a times. As we waited at Sydney to board the aircraft and the very first announcement was made to board the First class and Business class passengers… the whole mass of the Economy class seemed to showed around the entrance to the gangway. A second announcement was made to allow for families or mothers traveling with infants or children under 7 years and also to request the masses to sit down and wait their turn. You think they’d heed? Later the rows 50 onwards unto 60 were called in. I was seated in 58 so I started to proceed. An Indian lady probably in her late fifties cut right in front of me. Pushed me out of the way, bumped over my cabin baggage and walked on by totally unapologetically. I was seething with fury and retorted her demeanor with a assertive look:
Continue reading ‘Sydney to Calcutta – Singapore Airlines’
Time flies by way too quick when you’re having fun. And that would precisely explain what I’ve been up to lately. Loads of fun. I also had a great opportunity to visit mum and dad during the Diwali — the festival of light and spend some quality time in India with them. Though it was a relatively short visit and time flew by so quick, the few days in India sure were a trip down my memory lane of familiar smells, tastes, sounds and everything in-between.
Continue reading ‘A quick visit to India’
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