Milestone

The birthday morning dawned..fresh and new..carrying with it new joys, dreams and reminders of beautiful gifts of friendships near and afar..... 

Reflections

...The last four decades flew as if I had the wings of a butterfly - the text has been written…the commentary, yet to come.... 

Windmills

I chanced upon this sight on my way to Salzburg (Austria) on a recent trip to this beautiful tiny city............

Windmills

....and was instantly reminded of Sidney Sheldon's 1987 thriller novel Windmills of the Gods. Though the plot of that thriller was far removed from this picturesque scene in front of my eyes..I hung onto that phrase and, as is my nature, relapsed into another happy fantasy!!

This shot was taken from a moving bus across the hazy fiber glass window - you can perhaps guess that from the smudges across the picture specially visible on the clouds.

No photo shop needed as the picture itself was created by a much superior power - I seemed only like an instrument doing his bidding.

Camera - Nikon D 90
Exposure 1/1250s, 50 mm, f/5.6, ISO 200

visita relámpago - flying visit to Madrid

....One foot ahead of the other....the steps ought to take me forward...but I see myself walking back into time.. wondrously looking around ..lost in the grandeur surrounding me. It takes nothing but imagination to strip the neon signs off the facade of the beautifully sculpted buildings and one is transported to the early 20th century Spain.

Despite the macabre tale of modernization written all over this historic city, there are signs that show a culture breathing laboriously yet resolutely amongst its hip people. It is visible in the historic looking McDonald's building that perhaps may be the only outlet of its kind without the customary golden arch. The billboards around announce expositions of art and culture, celebration of sopranos and opera as well the latest Bollywood performance!

I am fortunate to witness one of the operas being played out at the Royal Theatre right opposite the Palacio Real de Madrid. Le Nizze de Figaro ( The Marriage of Figaro) is one of Mozart's controversial plays set in late 18th century. I am more intrigued by the audience sitting patiently outside in the square watching the live relay of the play on a huge screen set off atop one of the theaters.

Gran Via (pronounced as Gran 'B'ia) literally means the Great Way is arguably the most fashionable street in Madrid. Originally designed to be a thoroughfare connecting the Royal Palace of the King of Spain to the other side of the city it originally housed theaters and government buildings and was a place for cultural amusements.

The Metropolitan building is almost considered the face of Madrid for most people. Tourist fill the street mostly looking up to capture the beautiful architecture atop most buildings that fill the narrow street on both sides. A local friend remarks in jest how the locals make out the tourist by the way they look up in admiration and awe at these majestic buildings.

My first visit to the city is another step in my appreciation of the diversity of the human race. The city's people leave you to yourself, almost appearing rude at times as they ignore your presence and your attempts to befriend. Yet their open acceptance of the right of choice of an individual to live the life they want, in the manner they chose to live it, is definitely admirable and ought to be emulated.

As I get ready to leave the city, I find myself already looking forward to and planning my next visit...perhaps one not so short as this one. I am sitting here waiting to board my plane to another city ...wondering what purpose destiny has in taking me to these different places....is this a mere exercise in my education to be more grounded or a need for an old soul to recall or remember...?  

Coming Home

In my pursuit of the enchantments of this world I have been wading my way through living history ..one place at a time..and am having a whale of a time! Yet when the newness of a place wears me down and the strangers start getting too familiar for my liking, my heart begins to long for home....

Electric wires in old Delhi

.......for the familiar idiosyncrasies of the place which has grown on me for the last sixteen odd years.





Each one of its inhabitants may have their own opinion on this city but for me Delhi or Dilli as we locals know it, is one place which is swinging in a time machine. Here you have the swanky modern bungalows of the nouveau rich..over there the famous central business district in the heart of Lutyens' delhi - as much a buzz of modern day showcase of India shining as of her majestic resplendence of 1933...

Sheesh Gumbad

....and then there are these glimpses that make us wonder.....

Bada Gumbad and Mosque

....on some days.... when its 3 pm in New Delhi .....6.30 am in New York........it is only 1443 AD in certain parts of Dilli....!!!...

...little wonder it makes my heart tug?

  

New York contd.....

A city in celebration

Despite its colossal reputation, NY reminds me of a shy teenager, who upon realizing that she is actually a person in her own right goes berserk and wild! The sky high buildings co exist with old Gothic architecture with equal elan...its many parks dot the city, its old fashioned subways - now cleaned up of their not so pretty image - run the city only as a lifeline could. I certainly got addicted to the Metro and would take rides just for the sheer fun of it!!

belief, faith, trust....

True to its cosmopolitan nature, the city is home to many cultures and cuisines. One's ears get attuned to listening in many tongues..from the accented southern American drawl to the far eastern Asian, from the rapid static German to the vastly curvaceous Spanish..and of course not to forget the variety of cuisine on offer...they are all here... stamping the place with their very own character that culminates into this exciting, inviting juxtapose called New York City!

I secretly find myself imagining how it will be to live here as a citizen and comparing it to my relatively sedate life back home..the comparison excites me - as always I get motivated into action by the sheer possibilities :))

Manhattan on a winter afternoon

I click like there is no tomorrow..forgetting to think, to plan my shots, I just click knowing that my time here is finite. Smarting as the cold winds bite into my fingers..my nose a frozen dot on my face.. Later I regret not planning some shots better - some have turned out better than I imagined but others..my hopeful ones..are too simplistic just because I didn't think of taking a step to the right or left - or basically didn't use my one and a half moment that could have made the difference!! Lessons learnt, mistakes acknowledged..I move on.

The city as I see it

Frozen in time

Talking about moving on..I am realizing that is my biggest strength or maybe my one nemesis ..depending upon the way you look at it!

I am grateful for the life that I lead - so much more fulfilled than many others.

Here's hoping this New Year -begun a little differently than others, would teach me to stay grounded and humble, bring in the love of family and friends and above all make me a better person than I am today.