Rose Festival

I took part in the photography competition organised by Chandigarh tourism on the occasion of the Rose festival. And well, I won a runners-up prize. A thousand bucks cant be all that bad!!!

The prize-winner.

“For an instant, love can transform the world.”

The ones that are on the exhibition.....

“He that gives good advice, builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both; but he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other.”

“Life is a rose; beware of the thorns.”

“Vanity keeps persons in favor with themselves who are out of favor with all others”

The Price of Wisdom

Its been a long time, and I am back to blogging today after having lost the only lower right second molar I ever or ever will have.

But first things first, I have been having a mad, terrifying and torrid romance with my Nikon D200. Its quite a demanding mistress and has consumed a lot of me already, but the pleasure is well.....indescribable. And its a lot of fun shooting with my Sigma 10-20mm and 50mm 1.8 nikkor lenses. The results are quite crackling and please check my flickr page (link ) for some samples. I have been travelling somewhat recently too and I will be making some posts about that too. I also came across this page recently and I found that I am pretty high up on the coolness meter but then I found I was being vain about it and that isnt COOL, so I wont talk about it any longer.

Now, for the wisdom part, well I have little of it and I did not want to lose what little I have. Therefore, since the last 10 years or so, i have been able to live on with 2 occasionally very painful, but usually quiet lower impacted molars. A friend of mine, who now is no more told me once that I would have to get these removed, but being the mule I am, I waited and waited. Until I found that my second molars (the teeth in front of the culprits) started to break in parts, and on both sides too. And it was quite a coincidence that this was in direct temporal proximity to having chewed on some very tough popcorn. And that too an year apart. After initial alarm, I found that the breaking away of the tooth actually reduced the pain and was thus welcome. Until about a week ago when I suddenly found myself unable to eat or talk properly. I then found it quite impossible to sit through a round in the ward, and that was just not due to boredom. I popped some diclofenac only to find the toothache reduced but replaced by a heartburn that would light a bushfire. So, with a heavy heart i found myself at the doorstep of a dentist friend who could not control his glee when he announced triumphantly that i would have to be relieved of the broken teeth. "What of the wisdom?", I enquired anxiously, and he said that he would have to see. So after a course of antibiotics and analgesics, I made my way to the dental chair today. Called up all my near and dear ones, including a girl I was in love with when i was in school to tell her how much I loved her. I suppose it is a bit of an anticlimax that I am back with my broken tooth in my pocket and with plans to get the other one removed in a couple of weeks. And its not too bad to gorge on ice cream without guilt (doctor's orders!!) either. But then, I still have my wisdom with me. But those who protected that wisdom and fell in that effort are now gone. You cant win all the time.

DR. TERRY MAH

DR. TERRY MAH
Originally uploaded by KhalsaLionZ.

This is too funny.....

Worried Man

I took this picture the other day with my D200. I tried out a Nikkor 70-300mm, 4.5-5.6 G VR lens and I think it handles like a dream. Definitely a lustworthy object.
I wish I had deeper pockets.
I noticed later the expression on the face of this man, wonder what he was talking about and with whom. I hope he isnt as worried as he looks in the picture.

Freak weather and good times

Just when we all thought that winters are over, the rains are back. And with a bang too. Its deliciously cold again, I have been told that there is over 2 feet of snow in Simla and its a perfect time to snuggle into my quilt and let the world go to hell.
Unfortunately that is not always possible.

There are always small pleasures like a steaming cup of tea made for you. Its such a wonderful feeling to be spoilt silly and thats exactly what I am enjoying these days. Such wonderful times never last long so I am making the most of it while it does.

Yes, this is the season to sit in the car and make strange shapes on the misted windshield and take pictures of passing cars.

And life will always find a way, work will go on through soggy, wet underwear and mouldy bread. But life today feels good.
Let the good times roll some more.

Its a small world

The most amazing thing happened yesterday. Nic, from California left me a comment on my blog telling me that the picture of the guy surfing at Mahabalipuram on this post is of him.
It only goes on to show what a fantastic thing technology is. The world is becoming a small place and its getting smaller every day. Nice to meet you in the virtaul world, Nic. Here are a couple of pictures that I took, I cropped them a bit.
Here is a link to Nic's blog, Paneerbelly.

The Picture that got Published

Thanks to Mother Jones and Tataastha. Thanks for the kind words, and yes Tataastha..please do not get too excited. You know it doesnt agree with you. :-P

Noise-Perception Vs Apperception

Its 6.30am and I am blogging after many days. I may point out that 6.30am in Punjab in winters is still an unearthly hour for most people. I may also point out that I just drove 25 kms from home to get to PGI when my work wont start until 9 am.
It had been perfect until yesterday, there was the promise of good weather, good company and good food, all washed down with some good Himachali wine and to top it all up, a night of good sleep.
And so it was until 4.45 AM when I was awoken by a loudspeaker from somewhere close to my home which carried the sonorous voice of a preacher reciting the Guru granth Sahib. Now, being awoken on a winter morning at 4.45am, albeit by religious recitations absolutely does not fill my heart with piety and good feelings for the rest of mankind.
In earlier days, I might have gone over to wherever this din was playing and switched it off as the priests of the temple and gurudwara in my locality discovered, but this time it was raining and suddenly it seemed worthless to even try. A sense of despair filled me and I thought that I was doomed to take all this, all my life. I tried reading a book, trying hard not to curse they who were responsible, and finding it impossible took a bath. I put on a set of clean clothes and startde to make my way back home.
But before I did that, I went to this place where the loudspeaker was playing and saw an old man in a saffron turban standing outside, an old woman sweeping the courtyard and the sound of coughing was now audible in the background with the recitation still in full flow. So I went up and asked the old man how long he planned to play the loudspeaker, he was at a loss for words and pointed out to another man who came out and told me that there is an Akhand Path going on and the bhog or the completion would be tomorrow at 10 am. He invited me inside but I walked away.
Drove through the drizzle and muddy streets until I reached the streets of Chandigarh. The newspaper delivery boys are starting to make their rounds, and the milkmen are out on their huge motorcycles. Some old men in heavy woolens and umbrellas are making their daily walk, and soon the residents will return bleary eyed from their night duties.
And a new day will start.
Nature abhors vacuum, but silence is not that. Its full of so many possibilities. Isnt that the biggest gift?
On a brighter note, I am now a published photographer. A picture I took got printed in a travel magazine brought out by the India Today group. I took my D200 to Kasauli for a trip and took about 222 pictures and I must say it handles like a dream. The only problem is the money I will now have to shell out for the lenses. I will probably never be able to afford them so I might as well buy them before I have no money left!!!
The pictures above were taken with a D200 and a 28-70 nikon lens.