Kala Ghoda Art Fair - 1

Day 1 of the much anticipated Kala Ghoda Art Fair had me making my way to Rampart Row - the street where the festival is held each year. A few topics that were highlighted by multiple installations were - gender equality, prevention of child abuse, fighting corruption and social responsibility.

One of my favourite aspects about this festival is the opportunity that it provides the "commoners" to interact with the art installations. Unlike the stuffy and formal settings that are observed when art is on display in galleries - this place is fun. Of course, you do see the occasional idiots who want to stand on the art work and use it as a prop in their photographs; but by and large, people respect the work and are careful when posing with it.
On the right you see an installation that says - "Money is the root of all evil" and shows a seat (of power) corrupted by money.

Each year the Kala Ghoda (black horse) is represented in various ways and holds pride of place at the festival. The sculpture this year was made from motor cycle spare parts, and was a great example of creativity. Notice the mobike chain being used as the horse's mane.

I spent  a wonderful few hours browsing through the exhibits and came away thinking that I really should engage in more right-brained activities ... However, only time will tell whether I keep to that!

Embracing the power of social network ... as a foodie!

A positive experience with a food delivery service today - led me to sign up for Zomato. I've often used their site to decide whether / not to dine at a certain establishment, and feel that its time I contributed to it as well. There are a bunch of places that I've dined at, and being the self-professed foodie that I am - can still recall what I ate there! Well - guess its time to put those thoughts down.

 

Gearing up for Lord Ganesha's visit

Its that time of the year again, when traffic snarls in Mumbai get worse, roads rendered potholed by the rains, and narrowed by various stalls (do not call these encroachments, for they claim to be "legal occupants" of the land), bear with makeshift tents ("mandaps") and the ever-resilient Mumbaite just shrugs it off with a smile, as he navigates his bike / car / his own two feet through it all. After all - even he can't help but respond to the call of "Ganpati bappa" ... with an enthusiastic "Morya". Such is the culture of this island city, that it welcomes every visitor whether it be for a day or for a lifetime, and before you realise it, rubs off some of its religious, social fervour on you.

The Ganesh festival is one such occasion where the people irrespective of religious beliefs and social strata, come together and enjoy the many facets of this 10 day long festival.

Beginning with the open markets selling all kinds of seasonal produce and those specific items that are traditionally cooked and served during this festival, to workshops selling idols of the elephant headed Lord Ganesha and makeshift tents that seem to spring up in the midst of crowded junctions - you can't miss the signs.

Every family has their own traditions, mostly centered around food and pleasing the much awaited, revered guest - Ganesha. On his part, he graces their homes in his idol form - seated on thrones and pillows, with his little mouse for company. The sculptors imagination holds little back, having the Lord play music on a harmonium, with various other dieties for company as long as the theme is mythologically relevant, no scene or sculpture is too far-fetched.

 

Weekend in Bangalore ...

Last week I found myself making the once familiar trip to Bangalore (ooops ... now, Bengaluru). While Bangalore now boasts of a swanky new airport with state of the art facilities, the connectivity to this transportation hub is still experiencing some growing pains. Potholed roads (albeit, much better than those in Mumbai) and flyovers under construction are a common sight that create traffic snarls which welcome you to this once pristine and quiet, garden city.

Apart from work, I embarked on my culinary journey which included a visit to the world-famous MTR kitchen and gorging on various "meals", the equivalent of a "thaali" or an assortment of food that makes a complete meal at various joints. As usual, the trip was far too short and I returned with promises to myself of taking another trip to sample even more food!

 

A getaway to the Konkan coast

Lush green woods, a winding mud road that cuts through the greenery… like a brown ribbon… disappearing in parts, but continuous.
Along these paths trundles a red bus; dusty and rickety; picking up people & their luggage. This is the lifeline of the Konkan region. The railways have arrived here about two decades ago; but the remote villages are still accessible only by road.
Little surprise then, that for the natives – it is the humble red bus that they identify with. They know the times the bus will arrive – not always governed by the timetable; they know the drivers by name, often offering them a cup of tea as they drive by. The driver will often be the unofficial messenger carrying small notes and packages not for money, but knowing that the elders rely on him for their bit of news and gossip.
Is it a wonder then, that it is this bus that they eagerly await … come rain or shine?

Taking advantage of a long weekend, I headed down to the picturesque village of Dapoli near on Konkan coast. As we drove through, it was raining hard as we navigated the "ghats", but we eventually managed to reach the Konkan plains. We stayed in a sleepy little hamlet called Karde that was located by the sea shore. While the shore has been littered by humans (you see plastic and non-bio degradable waste all along the beach), the sight of the vast ocean uninterrupted and in all its glory - is a pleasing sight.

It being the rainy season, this was "off-peak" time, limiting the tourists to a few adventurous souls who were visiting to enjoy the peace and quiet away from the bustle of the city. This gave me ample opportunity to observe the locals as they went about their daily chores, and the scenic coastline. The sea has made several inlets into the bordering villages that serve as creeks, dotted with coconut trees and other shrubs characteristic to the region.

The narrow country lanes are dotted with reeds of grassy vegetation and village folk treading through the patches of green. Bent almost halfway covered with a straw tent-like cape that offered scant protection from the heavy rain, it seemed like back breaking work to me. I went up to one of the ladies and asked what they were up to. "Sowing rice" was the reply I got and the response left me humbled.It is thanks to  the hardworking farmer's toils that we enjoy the various delicacies that tingle our tastebuds and provide us with the much needed nutrients.

How many times do we give a second thought to the rice on our plates? From today, I know I will ... will you?

 

Feathered friends ... 2

The rains have arrived in full swing, and for the past few weeks, the skies have been a dull gray. While my euphoria about the rain fades away as quickly as the first cloudburst, the birds that frequent the trees by my window add an element of interest to an otherwise dreary day.
Here are a few shots of a magpie robin that seems to enjoy perching on a branch by my window ...

The magpie robins have a sweet call, and wag their tail up and down as they chirp. While they appear a solid black and white from a distance, a closer look reveals shades of black among their feathers. Further reading on Wikipedia informed me that the ones I've clicked are male oriental magpie robins.

Now does that explain why they were "busy" hopping from branch to branch, swinging in the wind, chirping their songs while the other birds were industriously flitting from flower to flower in search of nectar?
 

Feathered friends by my window ... 1

Despite living in a bustling metropolis, I am fortunate to have a few large trees near my window. I was surprised to notice the varieties of birds that frequent this green haven. I guess - given their dwindling options - these trees held appeal ...

One of the first early morning visitors - was this female Purple Sunbird .. While the male is deep purple, the female is yellowish in color. I found the sharp beak intriguing, and soon had the opportunity to watch it fluff its feathers for a good few minutes! Here is it - all done after a good fluffing/cleaning... As soon as it deemed itself sufficiently clean - off it flew into the green leaves.

 

A culture of hospitality, but missing common courtesy

Indian culture has traditionally been known for its hospitality. As you step into airports, train stations or inter-city bus stations, posters of Incredible India, pictures of the traditional folded hands – the “namaste” greet passengers. However, these symbols of hospitality seem to be relegated to hoardings and Indian tourism propaganda.

For a culture that prides itself on its hospitality, majority of the population seems to be lacking common courtesy. Anyone who has seen the traffic in India (in effect this means anyone who has set foot outside any port on Indian soil) will agree when I say that traffic here is congested and chaotic. Courteous driving seems to be an alien and unheard of concept. Traffic rules are merely considered as guidelines and not always followed.

With the advent of the tech boom, a young and educated workforce now has the means to enjoy the latest gadgets and gizmos while indulging their tastes for food, clothing and consumables from around the world. This has led to a spurt of malls carrying high-end luxury brands from around the world, all-in-one grocery stores aka Safeway, Marks & Spencer, Whole Foods mainly catering to the reasonably well to do, and based on their economic status, a literate and educated strata of society.

A recent visit to one of these stores was an eye-opener. This store was stocked with the latest electronic goods and gadgets, groceries, packaged foods, fresh fruit and vegetables and was spread well over 30,000 square ft. Some areas of the store expectedly were busier than others. However, the sheer lack of politeness and courtesy among the shoppers was appalling. People were pushing and shoving each other to select abundantly available onions and potatoes. When I held out a bag for the shopper next to me (yes, some of you may call me an idiot for this), she grabbed it without so much as an acknowledgement in my direction and went on to elbow me in her rush to bag her choice of vegetables.

In other parts of the store, I noticed younger presumably college going shoppers, bumping into or pushing the elderly to get ahead. I understand that people can be in a hurry and most of us have schedules to keep, but is it so difficult to excuse ourselves as we pass another?

Have we become a nation of that is merely literate but uncultured? Of people who have the money in their pockets to buy whatever catches their fancy but lacking the courtesy and politeness that form the core of being human?

Cricket fever ...

Being in the Indian sub-continent during cricket season is exciting, but being here during the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament, is an experience not to be missed. India is a cricket crazy nation, and having sent in a team that is winning matches has exponentially increased the interest and following for the "Men in Blue", the nickname for the Indian cricket team. The cricket matches have resulted in roads being rather empty and in some cases, offices declaring a half day holiday to enable people to enjoy the matches!

Back in India ... three years later ...

Bags packed, boarding pass in hand, I made my way to the aircraft that would take me from Chicago to New Delhi non-stop. The flight was smooth and uneventful except for me needing an extra copy of the Indian Disembarkation form since I interchanged the day and month of my birthdate. (Yes, I know – lame!) But I did find myself wondering – why can’t governments use a standard DD-Mon-YYYY format in all their documentation? Like we create common standards for internet access and telecommunications, why not have them for governments across the world? Wouldn’t it make life easier for everyone? But then I think – Was the concept of government created to make anything easier for anyone? Oh well…

All was smooth until it was time for me to retrieve my bags from the baggage claim. For those used to announcements indicating the baggage claim when they are disembarking from the plane, forget it. All that was announced was that the baggage would be available in the baggage claim area (as if you were expecting it outside the plane, or delivered to your seat). Locating the baggage claim was simple thanks to a map of the terminal posted in the arrival area. As I hauled my bags off the conveyor belt, one of the baggage “helpers” approached me and asked if they were my bags. Not quite understanding the context, I indicated that they were. The next set of actions was a reality check. He went on to tell me that the customs officers were inspecting each bag through the x-ray screener. Not having anything to hide, I shrugged it off. He then went onto to say that iPads, cameras and LED TVs were on the “hot” item list and if had any of these and wanted to clear the terminal without waiting for the next 2 hours and paying the customs duty amounting to thousands of rupees, I could pay him $50 and walk out. After 18+ hours of travel and being jet lagged – I opted for the easy way out. I negotiated the $50 demand to $20 – and walked out in the next 5 minutes. It was a harsh welcome to reality.

As I write this, I wonder – why did I opt to pay that money? Self-preservation? Did I value 2 hours of my time more than the $20 in my pocket? Or did it simply awaken the dormant but inherent trait to work around the system?

Reconnecting with my paintbrushes ...

A long hiatus from blogging ... it's been a hectic year. A few weeks ago - I took a week off from work. Yes - a full week!

I found that reconnecting with my paintbrushes helped me relax and get my head out of the 24*7 work/ run/ scramble-for-something mode. Here is the end result ....

The sky turned out decently well, but as you can see, the landscape leaves a lot to be desired.

A weekend in Boston ...

Thursday evening I found myself taking a flight to Boston for a relaxing weekend with some friends and attending a cousin’s graduation.

I should have known – “relaxing” weekend would be far out of the picture. After the usual delays that Boston’s Logan airport subjects its passengers to, I made it there in time for a late dinner.

My first view of Boston was that of a city with some tall buildings a rather lot of winding roads. Strange for a city – I thought. The ways of the city are seemingly apparent even before you set foot there. The landing strip at Boston airport is almost on the water – so aircrafts have to make a loop over the Boston harbor and the Atlantic ocean before being able to land. Once you are on terra firma and making your way to downtown Boston – a strange realization strikes you … none of the roads run straight. The usual grid structure that can be mapped to streets in other American cities – is completely absent. The traffic swerves in and out of lanes in random motion intervals, drivers honk and often – to go right you need to make a left turn on the street. I had heard stories of the roads in Boston were originally cow paths created by grazing cows that were later formed into roads. As we navigated through the roads, I whole heartedly agreed and confessed to my friend that I would be sure to get lost driving there. I now have a new found respect for all the drivers who drive around Boston.

The next morning was my venture into the city of Boston. I met my cousin at the station and we decided to offload our bags at our hotel before proceeding on our tour of the city. (The picture shows a view of the Boston harbor from my hotel room.) This was my first ride on the Boston T, and it brought back fond memories of the London Underground. The subway trains, the color coded section lines, the intersections and interchanges without having to step outside the station and the style and model of the stations would make a Londoner feel right at home.

We navigated a few of the lines and made our way to Harvard, home to arguably one of the world’s most famous schools. Harvard square has an eclectic collection of shops and cafes and is a charming place. As we walked through the wood paneled halls in some of the buildings of Harvard Business School – I could almost feel the years of tradition and knowledge around me.
Leaving Harvard we met up with my cousin – the graduate to be and a friend at Boston Commons. It was a warm and sunny day and the park was full of people enjoying the weather. After walking around, taking in the sights – the Capitol building with the golden dome, the malls, theater areas and shops, the many statues that pop up at streets and squares, it was time for dinner. We picked a recommended local chain of seafood restaurants – Legal Sea Foods. It was a rather long wait, but the food was well worth it. They claim to only serve fresh seafood, and after tasting their fare – I’m inclined to agree.

As we walked back to our hotel – I realized that Boston is definitely a city where you should leave your car behind and explore on foot.

Saturday morning found us en route to a town called Eliot on the Green Line of the T – making our way to the first of my cousin’s graduation ceremonies. Why first … ? Well – since he was getting his Master’s degee in Management, and his Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, all in a span of 4 years! Weird ? Yes, I’m inclined to agree. He is like that. After meeting the rest of the family attending his commencement, we drove to Babson School of Management where he completed his Masters. The graduating class comprised several hundred graduates and was a rather long and tedious ceremony – with one exception. The commencement speaker was a man called Erik Wiehenmeyer – the only bind man to scale Mt.Everest. He is a rock climber, skier and mountaineer in addition to being blind. He spoke about motivating oneself to always climb higher, and not let anything come in the way of achieving your dreams. It was inspiring and humbling to listen to him narrate his experiences and share his thoughts.

We made it to a quaint family run steakhouse called Ken's Steakhouse. This place had the authentic old-time feel to it with wooden beamed ceilings and floors and the food lived up to our expectations. Given the huge portion sizes, I was more than happy to split my entree with one of my cousins.

The next day, we were up and off to attend the next graduation ceremony. This was far more relaxed and chilled out and I enjoyed meeting my cousin's classmates and watching them rejoice at having graduated. This ceremony was for a batch of 70 students and each one of them had picked out a sentence 15 words or less to be read as they walked on-stage. Most students had picked lines expressing their gratidude and inspirational thoughts .... but one of them was different. There on stage - he asked his girlfriend to marry him. Phew ... talk about pressure! After a 2 second pause where the girl probably picked herself off the chair she'd fallen from - there was a resounding "YES"! The entire audience cheered .... That incident made the event even more memorable!

After dinner at a Japanese restaurant, we headed back to our cousin's dorm room, helped him pack his things as we drove back to our hotel.

Monday morning, driving through Boston was nightmarish, but I made my flight on time thanks to some Bostonian driving by my uncle. All in all - an awesome weekend!

Basketball in Indy - Pacers v/s Bucks

Just back from a fun basketball game at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where we watched the Indianapolis Pacers play the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was my first visit to an NBA game, and the Club level seats that we had ensured that I could enjoy every bit of the action. The atmosphere in the crowd was electric and I couldn't help but join the cheering fans. All my cheering resulted in a hoarse voice by the end of the game. As you can see it was a fast paced game - here you can see split second shots of the ball in the basket!

When the action on the court took a break, the cheerleaders and mascots ensured that the timeouts were entertaining.

The Pacers have two mascots - Boomer (a cat) and Bowser (a dog). In the picture you see Boomer making a basket after jumping off a trampoline. That explains the height he has when shooting.

These guys kept us entertained throughout by cheering from the sidelines and getting the crowd pumped up to cheer. An action-packed, entertaining evening!

Christmas in Portland

Early December - just as I was wondering what I should do over the holidays - I had a call from my uncle inviting me over to spend the last week of the year with all of them in Portland.

I gladly accepted the invite and eagerly looked forward to my trip to the West coast. Having visited Portland in the past, I quite knew what to expect - but this would be my first trip there in the winter.

A few days before my journey, a major snowstorm blew through the Pacific Northwest and most of Washington and Oregon received about 12+ inches of snow. Since these are places that don't usually get any snow - the airports and towns are not equipped to handle it. For 48 hours, Portland airport (PDX) was closed to all traffic. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. Amidst all my holiday excitement - I could only hope that my flight made it to Portland as scheduled. On my day of travel, the airport was functional, but there were severe weather delays. Thanks to the delays, the gate agent's holiday mood and my numerous flights on United Airlines for work - I was upgraded for free! Sitting up in First class - eating a good meal, watching the clouds and stars, made the 5 hrs whizz by... Definitely a great way to start the holiday...

Getting around Portland was a challenge, since the public transport system was hampered by the snow. Met up with my cousins at the train station and got home in time for a late dinner. Dinner ... phew - here's the spread ... raspberry salad, veg pulao, some amazing grilled Pacific salmon (yes, this tastes much better than the commonly available Atlantic variety), carrots & cranberries and some soba noodles in ginger soy sauce. Despite my meal on the flight - I tucked into the sumptuous dinner. As expected, this was the trend throughout the holiday ... delicious meals and relaxation ...

The next morning - was Christmas Day! After an awesome breakfast - we exchanged gifts amidst a lot of excitement. A truly memorable Christmas for me!

NY Wishes - 2009

The other day, we had a severe snowstorm. In the span of an hour – the weather worsened. The pathway below my apartment was invisible. Public transportation was paralyzed. Offices announced closures since no one could get to them. Airports were forced to cancel flights and shut down. TV channels flashed regular weather updates warning viewers to stay indoors to avoid danger of accidents and frostbite. As the day progressed, the snowflakes continued to fall until the entire landscape was covered in white. Unfortunately, as I discovered the next day, much to my chagrin – so was my car! But, for that day & night, as the snow fell in soft white flakes – it was blissfully calm and quiet. The scenery looked right out of a picture postcard. The weather gave everyone an opportunity to spend some good ol' family time, away from the rush of the ticking clock and endless to-do lists.

I think it was Mother Nature's way of granting us all, the gift of a much-needed break from the frenetic activity that goes on through the year. What gifts would I choose for all of us as we step into another trip around the sun?

1.Peace. Yes – that quiet feeling that creeps from within when your mind is not chasing strings of thoughts around. Not quite as encompassing as world peace, but as we all know – it can be just as elusive. May this be the year that you find peace within.

2.Health – Most of us are seriously work-life imbalanced. And as I navigate through each day, I find that the one thing that manages get lower down the priority list is my time to exercise and maintain my body to do all that I want to do. May this be the year that we spend more time being well, than worrying about it!

3.Discovery – We often walk the same path each day, without discovering and exploring the things and changes around. Seasons come and go, and another year rolls by. I've learnt that people also move in and out of our lives. It is up to us to discover them and make the connection. Exchange thoughts & ideas; explore the world. Who knows, that stranger today may happen to be your good friend tomorrow! May you have the chance to discover many such fulfilling relationships that enrich your life.

4.Time – The greatest gift of all. I've seen that it's not always about keeping schedules. Abandon that watch. Share your time with those you love. I was surprised how giving this to someone I cared about made a positive impact on my day. May you have and receive thisfrom those near and dear to you.

These I wish for all of us!

Weekend in Vegas ...

Last Thursday I met up with Aarti in crazy Las Vegas for a fun weekend. After an on-time flight from Indy (thank you Southwest airlines), I found myself at the very 80s looking McCarran airport.

I had already heard of Las Vegas being called the gambling capital of the world, but I was unprepared for the sight of rows and rows of slot machines that entice the most risk averse person to bet a few cents and try his luck.

After picking up our bags and a rather long wait for the cab - we headed to our casino hotel. A quick check in and we were out to check out the casino.

Las Vegas is a wild place - but I didn't know that yet. The next morning, my brain was in inertia, and had a late start to getting onto the strip. The first sight I remember was the replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris casino ...

Over the next few days - we walked the malls, saw an amazing water ballet show at Bellagio called "O" from the famous Cirque Du Soleil troupe. We had front row seats and ended up getting completely soaked during one of the water acrobatics. Brrrr ... that was rather wet and uncomfortable, but the show was awesome. The acts underwater and the somersaults ... phenomenal.

Vegas by night is a colorful, glizty place. The "strip" as the Main Street in Vegas is referred to is full of people in a party mood.

Vegas is a crazy party place - but for some reason, I'd be happy to stay away from it. It felt dated and sleazy rather than vibrant ... am sure the many gambling enthusiasts would disagree, then again - to each their own!

Healthy Lunch ...

This Saturday, after finishing up some chores - I came to my question of the day ... What do I cook today? Happened to see an ad on TV featuring avocados, and since there were a few sitting in my fridge - decided to whip up - Avocado Bruschetta for lunch.

It was easy to make, all I did was -

Chop up some onions, grape tomatoes, green chillies.

Add a teaspoon of lime juice & salt to taste.

Let the mixture sit in the fridge.

In the mean time - Brushed some bread with olive oil and rubbed a shredded garlic clove on it.

Toasted the bread in the oven.

Chop up an avocado and added it to the onion-tomato-chillies mixture. Add some finely chopped corriander and mixed it up to let the flavors mingle.

Once the bread was done, layered the bread with the avocado mixture and garnished it with a sprig of mint. Voila ! A tasty healthy meal was prepared in minutes. :)

Weekend in Colorado

Off to Denver ... A long awaited weekend with my cousins. Four of us had planned to meet up in Denver and drive on to Aspen. Since this tied in with the 4th of July Independence day weekend, it was perfect timing.



Two of my cousins were flying in from Portland, while one of them drove from Snowmass to Denver to pick us up.



The flight was delayed by a bit, and so was my cousin who drove to the airport to pick me up - so it was perfect timing.

Inspiration ...

This weekend - I was suddenly inspired to pick up my brushes and paints that had been packed away for a while ...

Still reminiscing of my peach picking trip - here is a picture of the painting inspired by my visit to the peach orchards.

Doing my bit for the community ...

Up at the crack of dawn ... I found myself scrambling to get to office to be there in time to participate in a community service day planned by my organization.

It was hectic but a good experience. We visited one of the Chicago inner city schools and taught students about the importance of doing their bit for the environment. When reading through their curriculum, I realized that I could do some of the things that I was teaching about ...

Simple things - turn off the lights each time you leave a room. Switch off the TV if no one is watching it. Unplug devices once they are done charging. Simple tasks - but if all of us do our bit, it would definitely make a world a greener place!

After this day spent working with the children, I'm determined to implement the green tips in my own life. :)