Words and Expressions

McDonalds Drive Thru @ Kasturba Road

2011-12-15T12:44:00.001+05:30

These stones tell you many stories…

After an exhausting evening at Avenue Road, on our way back we stopped at McDonalds at Kasturba Road for a quick bite. Being 10.30 at night we thought McDonalds would be a convenient option. As usual, we grabbed our meals and headed upstairs. The best thing here is the usage of pebbles as part of the restaurant interiors. Whoever gets in here, have something or the other to pen in these pebbles. Their feelings, emotions, friendship, love, fun, illustrations, graphics and so on. You get to read many stories from these pebbles.

Imagination has always been a favorite hobby or pastime for me. It is somewhat interesting observing these pebbles and imagining the stories from the engraved illustrations or names. Some scribble about their emotions to their partners, the depth of friendship with their names engraved in blue, red ballpoint pens or even using a permanent marker. Creative thinkers would scribble or illustrate creative graphics on them. Its like, when you pick each pebble from the box, you get to imagine a story behind that.

At times, I get back to my college days where we used to have such fun when with friends. A couple of year back, I had come to the same McDonalds and my friend had done a portrait on the pebble. I remembered that and I was trying to find that particular pebble. After few minutes search, I found that pebble and I started laughing looking at the pebble. My friend had drawn a girl’s portrait and someone had added a mustache on that. That was funny! Things will not remain the same when you next find them. This is what I thought at that moment.

I love to visit this place always, cherishing my memories and creating stories from someone else’s memories.

Here is the link to the pictures taken at the McDonalds drive thru… https://plus.google.com/photos/107767421120953479303/albums/5680325651489142209

P.S: All the images here are copyright protected to Prashant Bhandare. Anyone who wants to publish or use these images for any purpose, please contact the concerned for permission.

Birdwatching - My new-found hobby

2011-10-19T16:49:00.002+05:30

I had always enjoyed being amidst nature. However, I had never given a serious thought into bird watching. Nevertheless, I always enjoy the chirping of the birds.

Off late, I have started enjoying my new-found hobby - Birdwatching! It is kind of recreation for me from the hectic schedule and from the hassle bustle of city life. I agree we hardly get to spot any birds around the city. Where are the birds, which we used to find in the gardens in our childhood? Are all of these birds threatened with extinction?

One Sunday morning, I was in my deep sleep and my friend calls me and says, “I’m at Kaikondrahalli Lake and there are lot of birds here. Come over here and you’ll enjoy.” I din’t want to wake up early, but somehow I made my mind to go there once and see what kind of birds are there. So unwillingly, I woke up and headed towards Kaikondrahalli Lake. It was a pleasant morning. Cool breeze, tranquil lake and serene environment! Even though the lake is beside the Sarjapur main road, as you enter the lake you will not feel you are in the city. I felt refreshed as I entered.

Now comes the exciting Birdwatching part. My friend went busy with his photo shoots. I started spotting different varieties of birds. I never knew Kaikondrahalli Lake had so many species of birds. Yes, I heard amateur photographers heading towards Hebbal Lake, Lalbaugh to name a few. I was stunned to find these varieties of species here. I found few birds and I did not know their species, what are they called, I was seeing them for the first time. That day when I came back home, I searched for the bird species information and their habitats.

After that, almost every weekend I try to join my friend at Kaikondrahalli. An added advantage for my for friend as he says my eyes are sharp and I spot the birds easily. That helps him in his photography. :P So far at Kaikondrahalli Lake I have spotted these species of birds:

Green bee-eater
Ashy Prinia
Indian small cormorant
White browed wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Jungle Myna
Common Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Pond Heron
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Black Drongo
Red Wattled Lapwing
Paddy Field Pipit
Common Coot
Spot Billed Duck
Common Moorhens
Kites
Brahminy kites
Sparrows
Parakeets
Sunbirds
Small Egret

I might have not yet noticed few of the water birds. My favorite among all these birds are Pied Kingfisher. I spotted this bird at Kaikondrahalli Lake only once. This bird is so awesome. The way it flew and attacked on its prey, unbelievable. I was just starring; it was so quick in its action. I just went crazy for this birdie. J

Next on my list are Grey and Purple Heron. It is because; there are quite a few Grey and Purple Heron at Kaikondrahalli Lake. However, they sit on the islet or hide near the bushes waiting for its prey or they will just sit quite and silently in the tree far from the shore. I sit near the lake and watch these birds, waiting for prey, they just concentrate without any movement, and sometimes you can only see its long neck.

Green bee-eater, this bird is not shy about human beings. :P When my friend was photographing, this birdie used to come sit close and kind of shows it’s attitude. Common click as many as pictures you want. LOL.

There are plenty of Little Cormorants at Kaikondrahalli Lake or you can say anywhere in India you can find lot of Cormorants. Nevertheless, you will not get bored watching this bird. They are very funny. The way they get wet and the way, they keep their wings open. I assume they dry the water after refreshing in the water. You will love to watch that scene. They most of the time fight with each other.

There are couple of Brahminy Kites, if they see Human beings coming close by they don’t mind but if they see Camera’s with big lens focusing on them they just escape. These birds are very smart you know.

Kingfisher, they are so shy birds yet so beautiful. I will be so excited when I spot Kingfishers. But, they just fly away when they hear human beings coming near them. I recently visited the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary just for Pied Kingfisher and the Common Kingfisher. I was content with my trip as I could spot these birds there. Someone had mentioned in a blog that Pied Kingfisher is the super model of Ranganathittu. Yes, indeed it’s the supermodel over there. :P

On my last visit to Kaikondrahalli Lake, I saw a little birdie; I am yet to research about its species and habitat. I loved the texture and the color of this bird. God has created amazing creatures on this earth. Truly, god is the great artist. He has used all the beautiful color in his creations.

Another inspiration for my newfound hobby is the Rio movie. This movie inspired me a lot in terms of Bird watching and learning more about the bird’s habitat and their behavior.

On my last visit to the Kaikondrahalli Lake, I also spotted a Reptile - a huge Spectacle Cobra. After seeing the snake so close to me, I could not get my nerve to stay there for long.

You can find my experience at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary at http://travelsoiled.wordpress.com/. I will put up a post about my experience about the birds at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and our Mysore visit soon.

Overall, I am really enjoying this hobby. With all the hectic schedule and city lifestyle, this rather gives me relief from all the stress. Yes, for me bird watching is a stress buster!

You can view the bird photos captured at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meprashant/sets/72157627662109439/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/meprashant/sets/72157627703116508/. The pictures will be updated randomly. All the images here are copyright protected to Prashant Bhandare. Anyone who wants to publish or use these images for any purpose, please contact the concerned for permission.

Day train to Mangalore through Western Ghats

2011-07-26T16:43:00.005+05:30

Day train service from Bangalore to Mangalore started few years back. I've always heard from my friends that the scenic journey would be mesmerizing. Since then, I wanted to take a day train journey to Mangalore. Moreover, during monsoon the journey through the Western Ghats would be more enticing.

So far I did not get an opportunity to travel via day train. Either the reservations would be full or I wouldn't have a company and above all the journey takes 10 hours while compared to the 7 hours KSRTC Volvo bus journey. When comes to Mangalore travel I would hop, jump, run, and twirl to reach Mangalore at the earliest. This time, I did not let all those reasons stop me from taking a day train journey. Though I had to travel alone, I made up my mind I would GO!

My journey begins on 22nd July. Morning at 7.30, the train departs from Yesvantpur station. And at 6.15AM I start from Koramangala. And this day being Auto strike, I wondered if I could get any Auto or if I could get any direct bus or at least towards Majestic. I finally get an auto, who agreed to charge me Rs. 200 after bargaining a lot! I wondered, the train journey from Bangalore to Mangalore which is around 451Kms charged just Rs. 100 plus the reservation charges. But just 30Kms in Auto charged me Rs. 200.

I reached the station at 07.00AM and the train was already at the platform number 1. I had booked a Window seat and the seat assigned was on the right side facing the engine. One of my friends too had planned to come in the same train and I got to know from him that to enjoy the scenic beauty of Western Ghats we need to get a seat on the left side facing the engine. Ah!!! I was disappointed. The journey began from Yesvantpur and went through Tumkur, Tiptur, Arsikere, and so on. Between these places we got to see few lakes. The train would stop here and there either for crossing or track change. Then we reached Hassan. It was around 12:30PM and they dint stop for long there for lunch. The next stop was Sakleshpur.

When we reached Sakleshpur there were little bit of chaos here and there. Yes, those who knew about the day train journey or have experienced started jumping towards the doors on the left side facing the engine. I was hungry as well as I wanted to jump towards the doors to hold a place. We got some Mangalore Buns and ran towards to door. When the train departed from Sakleshpur station you get to see the real beauty. The beauty of Western Ghats! The greenery, the paddy fields, the tunnels, there are around 30 Tunnels from Sakleshpur to Kukke Subramanya. It was an awesome experience, when the train passed through the bridge, when you look down, the water flows several meters n depth, the Western Ghats completed covered with fog.

I reached Mangalore around 5.30PM. It was a prodigious experience every must experience once in their life time. I would travel once again with a bunch of friends. That will be really exciting.

However, as it is in Indian train, the trains are not in good condition, you'll not feel like placing your hands on windows, doors, or even you won't feel like entering the W.C. I don't know when Indian Railways will be tidy and hygienic. I wish that will happen soon or will it ever happen in India?

All in all, it was a very pleasant journey and I feel so good when I'm back home. I feel blessed to be born in the land of Mangalore. People, Place, and Food - best in the world! :-)

Here are the pictures which I tried to capture on the move: https://picasaweb.google.com/107767421120953479303/DayTrainWesternGhats02#. Beautiful scenes captured but I could not capture them beautifully.

His first DSLR…Yes!! Dreams come true!

2011-07-04T17:01:00.000+05:30

Getting his DSLR was his dream and yes, dreams come true. Having great passion for photography, he’d been hunting for the right camera. Buying the right one took its own sweet time. There were lots of Canon models in his wish list. Again, dreams come true, but how much ever you chase your dreams, destiny rules. There’s a perfect time for everything and that’s when your dreams come true. This is what I believe.

With his first DSLR in his hands, happiness fills in his heart! Though he had his hand on high end SLR’s earlier, this one is his own very first DSLR. What more can I ask for on my special day. Nothing more than finding happiness in someone’s face, on a special day. :)

A few shots of the gear and few pictures shot using this gear. As I update this post, these are the only pictures which I have at this moment.

Haji Ali

Update - Marathahalli Snake catchers number...

2011-06-01T19:05:00.000+05:30

It's going to be a year after the snake's visit to our place. We were lucky enough to find a snake catcher at the midnight for our rescue. I hope the snake will be fine in the forests somewhere.

Today when I was looking for the updates on my blog, I found this comment from Kannan on my previous post Snake...Snake..Snake inside the house!

I was glad that these details what I post on my blog is helpful. This is what Kannan says:

Hi,

Thank you very much for sharing the Snake catchers number in your blog. I spoke with Mr. Hariharan, Marathahalli for catching snake in my apartment car parking area hid in a rat pothole. He said now a days he is not available for the snake catching, instead he recommended his father Mr. Kumar. His number is 9901600322. I spoke with him and he said will reach my apartment with 45 minutes to come from old airp ort area. He came within the time he mentioned and did some enlargement of the pothole and caught the snake. It was a cobra. He will take it to Bannerghatta National park. We paid him Rs.500/- as his service charge. Felt very happy to save a snake. Thank you very for your help in sharing the phone number of Mr. Hariharan

Thanks Kannan for sharing this information. So, anywhere nearby if anyone finds a snake, please call Mr. Kumar at 9901600322. Please don't harm them, and the snakes will not harm you too. call the snake catchers, they have the tricks to catch snakes without harming them. Hope this helps you when in need.

Awesome food @ Kamath Swaad

2011-04-26T12:09:00.002+05:30

With power cuts and heavy rains last week, you really feel lazy to cook sometimes. Last Tuesday was one of such days. We headed towards Koramangala Sony World to have something for Dinner. It was drizzling though.

Always when I get back home, I see Kamath Swaad restaurant and feel like grabbing something from there. Somehow I never got a chance to get in. I had savored the delicacies at Kamath on the way to Mysore near Ramanagara. But the location being crowded always, I never got a good feel over there other than the awesome taste.

Here we got into Kamath Swaad at Koramangala. On the ground floor you find the self service area. On the first floor you'll get Multi-cuisine delicacies of Kamath. While we entered the lift to get into the first floor, we noticed there's a jowar roti meals service at the third floor. We wanted to try that out. We directly got into the third floor.

The place was not crowded as it was raining earlier. May be there were people in 2 or 3 tables. First thing what I noticed is the place was kept very neat. We sat in a table and in no time a waiter in North Karnataka attire came to assist us.

He said in this floor, we get Jowar roti meals and that's it. There are two options one would be normal meals and the other special meals. We were two and we opted for one special meal and another normal one. The service guys here are so well mannered, filled with patience and good humor. As soon as we opted for the meals, they kept two banana leaves on the tables. Ah! It was long since I had food on the banana leaf. It feels and tastes authentic, while having food on a banana leaf. They started serving salads(Spring onion, methi leaves, carrot), variety of dishes and then comes the Jowar roti. Trust me, I may not have had more than 1 and half jowar roti's so far. Here, as the server served the hot hot just made roti's, I went on eating until he served me 6 to 7 roti's. The server went on reminding the food is unlimited! I seriously did not have space on my tummy to fill-in the rice which was yet to come. But, the food was so tasty that I didn't want to leave anything. The butter milk they served was too tasty. The masala which they added in the butter milk was something different and it tasted so good.

Done with the food session, here comes the dessert. The dessert (Fruit salad with ice-cream) comes with the special meal. You wouldn't want to skip the dessert 'coz they would be definitely too good.

To end with they get you a Banana and the sweet pan. Ah! what a perfect meal on a rainy day! I would definitely go back to Kamath Swaad again.

Coorg Home stay: Bel Home

2011-04-25T17:08:00.001+05:30

How could I forget this trip with my family to Coorg for a home stay? Alas!! It took this long for me to write a recommendation/review.

I had done little research and had picked few destinations: Jaipur/Rajasthan, Srilanka, Coorg or Chickmaglur for my holidays. And then I remember my Dad's words few years back talking to my friend. He says in an innocent voice, "I love hill stations; I always love to go there." So I shortened the destinations to the nearest hill stations around Mangalore.

Coorg or Chickmaglur? These were the two options I gave my Dad when I was about to plan my holidays. He says, Coorg. Though I've visited Coorg lot of times, distance being just 4 hours from Mangalore, during School/College trips, this time I planned this trip for my family. I planned for a Home stay at Coorg!

I researched a lot over the Web, and I found one place which had no negative remarks. It’s the Bellari Mote Estate, Bel Home at Madapura. Also, two more home stay's Faith Cinchona Estate which Mr. Prabhu takes care and Polaycad Bungalow at Ammathi which Mr. and Mrs. Cariappa's host. We were lucky enough to get a cottage room booked at Bel Home. Above all, at the last minute, my sister and her kids plan to join us! Now what! I called Ms. Ramolla to find if there's any option at their place. Yes they did have the Swiss tents. And I went ahead and booked the Swiss tents too.

Vijai and Romolla the hosts, they were in touch with me regarding our stay from then on. Even before I booked the place for stay they were worried about how would we commute from Mangalore? The Mangalore-Mercara roads would be closed for 3 months on road widening and it was of no use getting our own vehicle. Mr. Vijai then asked me to check with KSRTC if there would be any direct bus. And we find there would be shuttle services from Sampaje, Puttur.

The day we travelled Coorg, since we did not have a definite time when we would reach I had asked Ms. Ramolla that we will arrange vehicle on our own when we reach Mercara. When we reached Mercara, we couldn't get any taxi or they charged very high. When I called Ms. Ramolla at the 11th hour, she was to arrange for a vehicle.

It was an Ambassador car, after ages I got to travel in an Ambassador; Anthony rode us to the gates of heaven "Bel Home". Its 45 minutes to 1 hour from the Mercara bus stop. We had to pass through few other coffee estates before we reached Bel Home. Roads for around 1 or 2 Kms would be little tedious with mud roads for around 1 Kms. But then, you get to see the heaven on top. Two cottages with two lovely couple waiting to welcome you along with their two dogs Tiger and Patch, they are ready to play with you anytime.

Highlights:
Bel Home is located amidst the coffee estate, with a river flowing nearby, completely serene and beautiful.

The guest cottage consists two spacious double bed rooms, a common hall, a porch overlooking garden and coffee estate where you also have you breakfast, lunch and dinner. Couple of easy chair is placed in the porch to sit and relax while you read your favorite novel or sip a wine during the cold nights of winter. The rooms were kept so neat, flower vase on all tables even in the bath rooms, they get the hot water ready whenever you wish to. There's no television and that's when you enjoy the serenity and somehow for the network was available in the cottage room. It may not be the same for you, so you might be lucky.

The Swiss tents are adventurous and not a bad idea at all. We were tentative about the idea of sleeping in the tent. When our host Vijai accompanied us towards the tents itself, he assured us not to worry about the safety. We were rest assured, though Mom and Dad didn’t let myself and sis to sleep in the tents instead they did. However their pets Tiger and Patch will be wide awake at night. The Swiss tent had a foundation with the tent on top. A spacious room, bathroom and a porch with an Armchair. The tent is put-up in the Vanilla garden few meters away from the main cottage. You hardly get a feeling it's a tent.

Hosts:
They are a lovely couple. My parents liked them a loved for their respecting nature, their simplicity, hospitality, their extremely friendly nature, they give you privacy at the same time they are approachable anytime you need. My Dad liked speaking to Vijai and Dad about the coffee estates, about Coorg or on any topic. Vijai also arranged for a Taxi of a Mangalorean fellow so that my parents feel comfortable while we are out on sightseeing. Ms.Ramolla was curious to know who slept at the night and she gives me a "You made your parents sleep in the tent" look when I said who slept on the tent. And then she reminds me my words, she didn’t want her parents to sleep in the tent when she initially booked the cottage. :P In other words, the Deviah's are so caring couple.

Food:
Awesome Coorg cuisine. My mouth is still watering when I think about those cuisines. Both Veg and Non-Veg are delicious and they would keep your mouth savoring with the taste for months.

Commuting:
It's great if you have your own vehicle. Else, Mr. and Mrs.Deviah's would arrange for one.

Security:
You don't have to worry about the security when you are around Bel Home. I used to sit out on the porch late till midnight, several times at night either Tiger or Patch would come around the cottage for their rounds.

Care takers:
They are one among the people who contribute in keeping the standards of Bel Home. They help in preparing awesome food, keeping the place tidy, etc. On our first day at Bel Home, after dinner my Mom went to wash her hands. They keep a bucket full of water to wash hands. The water was cold. There was a care taker called Sathish, he noticed that Mom didn’t want cold water. Immediately he got a bucket full of warm water. At Bel Home, you don't have to ask for anything. They'll sense your requirements.

Only thing what I regret, I couldn't spend more time at Bel Home and enjoy the natures calmness. Anyone who plans for a Home stay, please do not plan to visit anywhere towards city. Just be there, relax and enjoy the serenity. The hosts also arrange trekking activities to nearby peaks.

The two days we stayed at this heaven and we felt were at home. We did not feel like getting back home.

Tariffs:
Rooms Bed & Breakfast – Rs.3000/per couple (During season)
Extra Bed - Rs.1000
Non-veg – Rs.225 per meal
Veg – Rs.175 per meal

To book your stay, please visit: http://www.belhome.co.in. You can call Mr. and Mrs.Deviah on the numbers mentioned below or email to bellhome_homestay@hotmail.com.

Vijai Deviah - +91 94488 - 73543
Ramolla Deviah - 08276 - 204477
+91 98809-08135
+91 93410 - 80586

To find other best home stay’s, visit: http://www.getoffurass.com/ or http://besthomestaysindia.com/

I would really visit Bel Home next time. I also want to explore South Coorg and want to stay at Faith Cinchona Estate which Mr.Prabhu and Mrs.Maya look after.

Make sure to read all the reviews and check with friends/blogs to find a best place to stay. In my opinion Bel Home is worth the price. To view more pictures of Bel Home, please visit: https://picasaweb.google.com/SeemaKotian/BelHome#

Sunfeast World 10K is now TCS World 10K

2011-04-20T12:18:00.002+05:30

I've been blogging about Sunfeast World 10K run and have been participating in the 10K run for the past 3 years. Procam International have been organizing the 10K run with the sponsorship of Sunfeast for the last 3 years in Bangalore and they've got great response from the very first year they began. More than just running for fitness or health, people participate in this run for a cause, supporting for a cause. Yes, the amount raised by this event will proceed to the charity's. Number of charity's are registered with Bangalore Care's and raise funds through this event.

When I participated in the first edition of Sunfeast World 10K run 2008, I was just excited to run. I asked my friends if they would participate, when I did not receive anticipation from them, I went forward and registered myself. I ran the run, my first 10K run in the roads of Bangalore with cool breeze in the morning hours. I had no idea what it means by supporting a cause, I completed the 10K run with content, throughout the run you feel that you are running for a cause.

I was eagerly waiting for the second edition of Sunfeast World 10K 2009. In the second edition of Sunfeast 10K, I opted to raise funds for charity. I chose Child Rights and You(CRY) as a supporting charity and raised funds for this charity. I did not get a great response but still I did a bit from my end. I was happy running the 2nd edition of world 10K run at Bangalore and this time I had a company to run.

And then comes 3rd edition of Sunfeast World 10K run. Super excited for this run. Preparations went on from March, April and May. I planned to run the Marathon with the NGO-Child Rights and You(CRY) unit. They’ve been doing a great job working for the rights of underprivileged children in India. We bought t-shirts designed by Child Rights and You(CRY) with a theme Run to School. On the race day, we got the placards with the slogans which gave meaning to our cause, showing it over the pedestrians and influencing them to support. I was content again and I promised myself, as long as I’m in Bangalore, I'll run the World 10K for a cause. So this time it isn’t Sunfeast World 10K, it’s TCS World 10K. Just a name change, with the same vision and aim.

For registrations visit: Registration

Buzz:
Event Date: 5th June 2011
Place: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, India
Race Categories: Click here
Online Registration Begins: 21st March 2011
Physical Mode registration: 21st April 2011
Registration Last date: 14th May 2011 or when the running places get filled.
Collecting Bib No and timing chip: 1st to 4th June 2011

Let’s run the run! Run maadi Bengaluru. Run for a cause.

Japan Disaster - Donations

2011-03-21T11:49:00.000+05:30

Watching constant news from 11 March, 2011, offering prayers for the safety of the people out there at Japan, finding for the best means to make a contribution. My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. Hope Japan makes a speedy recovery.

Bring out your wallets and consider what you can do to help unfortunate victims of this terrible tragedy. Make sure to choose the right channel to make your contribution. Please find attached the Indian Red Cross appeal or you can make online donations directly to Japanese Red Cross Society by credit/debit card through Google checkout. http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

Click on the image to view the details clearly.

Also, your prayers would go a long way to helping them through this anxious time.

Calligraphy Workshop by Achyut Palav

2011-03-08T21:55:00.002+05:30

Calligraphy - Expressing your thoughts from the strokes! Come, enjoy playing with the strokes.

Interested in Calligraphy? Where do you begin? Doesn't a Workshop from a renowned Calligrapher sounds good?

I'm excited to announce that there's going to be a Calligraphy workshop in Bangalore by Achyut Palav. This workshop is to all who are interested in dipping their fingers into the inspiration pool. This workshop will give you all ...a firm step up on the path towards mastering the elements of calligraphy.

The Workshop date is April 23, 2011 Saturday and April 24, 2011 Sunday at Jaaga - Creative Common Ground, Opposite Hockey Stadium, Shanthinagar. Yes, it's a Weekend and you have lot of time to plan. You can go ahead block your calendars for these days. It's going to be a 3 hours session each.

If you are interested and if you have any questions related to this Workshop, please write to: calligraphy.blr@gmail.com.

Visit http://achyutpalav.com/ or http://www.apsc.net.in/ to learn more about the works of Achyut Palav. Send this invite to as many people who are interested in Calligraphy.

Watch out this place. More updates to follow!!!

Time

23 April at 10:00 - 24 April at 10:00

Location

Jaaga - Creative Common Ground, Opposite Hockey Stadium, Shanthinagar

No. 16/1, Rhenius Street, Off Richmond Road

Bangalore, India

It’s a great opportunity to all who are in Bangalore. Don’t miss this event. It’ll be interesting!!!

Park...

2011-02-16T11:19:00.001+05:30

I’m writing this while I’m relaxing my evening at the park. A naughty little boy smiles at me as I take out my book from the bag. Round the park, there are stone benches and I’m sitting on one of them. Ah! Ah! I realize ants are biting me. I need to shift to some other bench before they climb all over me.

I shifted to a place near a group of women who’s practicing some religious songs. I can hear them sing something something Hari Om! something something Hari Om! Though none of them are having melodious voice, they are involved in the song and enjoying the Bhajan. Hmmmm…one of them is distracted, she’s looking at me, smiling. I smile back at her.

Park! When you think of park, you recall, toddlers playing in the sand pit or play area, senior citizens on their regular walks, Couples spending their leisure time on the corners, health and physique conscious people jogging or walking round the park. And yes, especially in the evenings, mosquitoes biting you.

No...There’s more to this.

Park! Today I realize, gives you space to think. The light and fresh air helps you relax. I realize, giving oneself an hour or so is really important to get out of all the stress and anxiety in our daily life. Kids, they have their own way of making us smile. I’m happy that we still find kids coming to the park to play in the evenings, leaving behind their electronic gadgets.

Here there’s a lady sitting beside me. She too came in alone like me. Unlike me, she’s not looking around here and there. She’s sitting quite, to herself, enjoying the evening. Refreshed!

I’m refreshed too!. :)

Chitra Santhe 2011 - Street Art Festival

2011-01-31T12:53:00.003+05:30

Yet another year witnessing Chitra Santhe filled with Artists all over. This year again it really meant, it's Chitra-Santhe. Entire Kumarakrupa road was so colorful, not only for art works but also souls from various realms.

About Chitra Santhe:

When: Every year there will be a Art Exhibition called Chitra Santhe on the last Sunday of January.
Where: ChitraKala Parishath - Kumara Krupa Road, Bangalore
Timings: 9.00AM to 7.00PM
Registration: Artists can register for the event from December last 25th onwards paying 100 Rs registration fees. Look out for the ChaitraSanthe website for details. Free entry for ArtLovers/audience.

Entrance of ChitraKala Parishath

We started our padayatra from one end of the Kumara Krupa road, enjoying various form of arts, talking to the artists, clicking pictures, buying interesting things...One wouldn't know how the time passes when you are around there. It took three hours for us to reach to the other end of Kumara Krupa road. A day is really not sufficient to experience this event. We were wishing if the event could go on all night, for art lovers to cherish this event.

This year, the stalls were increased in number with increased spectators. Chitra Santhe 2011 has got immense response. Art lovers appreciating and buying paintings big or small; low cost to high to higher, highest as well.

Few stalls which caught my eyes are:

Paintings by Rajarajan..They are just out of the box! It's got a lot of depth in them. A buyer who was buying those paintings, addressed those art works as 'He' and 'She'. She really found the character in those paintings.

The "Banana Seller" - This painting was sold for a huge amount.

The showcase of ART 420 as part of performing arts!

ART 420

Artist from Bengal - She was just so creative and hardworking, using even the free time at the stall.

Magazine art - I just liked them and they looked so creative.

Magazine Art

Art works by the Association of People with Disability. They are the special people and specially abled.

Converse - These girls did a happening job. They did number of designs on Converse shoes and they were so cheerful. Of course they needed that energy drink to keep them so lively.

Tiny statues of Bronze - These statues capture all the details even if they are so tiny.

Star@Stalls - Masked people full in Yellow with a Yellow star on their head were roaming from one end to the other end.

Art work inside the bottle and pen refills. I was just wondering what amount of effort he had to put in these works. They were amazing!!

The Crowd - I didn’t imagine so many people would be there at Chitra Santhe today.

Art Mart opposite to Chitra Kala Parishath. I could get my Calligraphy nib there. Also there were so many Art stalls which were offering Art materials on 20% Discount.

Few other pictures of the event...

After Painting Competition; Child showing his painting to his dad.

All in all it was another great experience!

My first art work..my thoughts..my way... :)

2011-01-19T23:12:00.000+05:30

This evening I was watching a video on latest works of Massimo Polello and I was so motivated, I just wanted to paint on canvas. I took out a Canvas, pulled all colors, started spreading colors on the canvas.

Trust me, Art gives one so much of peace of mind. I was just involved. I may not be a great artist, but I was content seeing the output. This piece of art gave me happiness. Awesome!

Here's the piece of art...

Kala Madhyam Bangalore 2010

2010-12-12T00:54:00.001+05:30

I had two plans for Saturday. One, wanted to run the midnight marathon which was held at Whitefield Bangalore and second, wanted to attend the Kala Madhyam Folk & Tribal Art & Craft exhibition 2010. After lot of debate, dropped the plan of running the midnight marathon and planned to attend the Kala Madhyam exhibition.

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath hosts Kala Madhyam Folk & Tribal Art & Craft exhibition every year. Artists from all over India participate in this exhibition to display Indian cultural traditions. Variety of Folk Paintings, Handicrafts, Pottery materials, Antique silver-bronze jewellery, Cotton sarees, Folk performances, etc...

I could watch Sutrada Gombe Aata (String Puppet Show) and Folk Songs from Marga Jyothi Welfare Trust for Blind. I got to shop beautiful silver-bronze jewellery... :-) There was a Painting Exhibition and Photography exhibition too.

Sunday 12th December is the last day of this event. You can bargain well here but keep in mind the artist’s effort when you bargain. :)

Have a look on few of the pictures of the event.

Folk Songs from Marga Jyothi Welfare Trust for Blind...

Art of Ajanta on a clay pot..

This is the necklace I got for myself. :-)

Troubleshooting - Volume Control Disabled

2010-10-05T16:15:00.000+05:30

It's been long time; I haven't posted anything over here. I guess, my new job is keeping me busy or the distance I travel was eating up all the spare time. Hehe...

Here's something what I faced today. For some reasons, the Volume Control icon was missing from my Task bar. I started troubleshooting and opened the Control Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio devices > Sounds and Audio devices. This particular screen was disabled.

To troubleshoot further, I did the following:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Entertainment > Volume Control

I received the following message:

"There are no active mixer devices available. To install mixer devices, Go to Control Panel and Other Hardware, and then click ADD HARDWARE."

I tried to Add Hardware, but I didn’t know if I should select existing hardware or add a new hardware. I skipped that process and did the following:

From the Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Double click on Services > Click on Windows Audio > Restart the service.

Once you have restarted the Windows audio service, you must restart the system.

This worked for me. I hope this will be helpful to anyone of you in case, you face this problem.

Happy Independence Day!!!

2010-08-15T00:19:00.000+05:30

Picture courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27654121@N04/2577582073/

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again." - - Jawaharlal Nehru (Speech on Indian Independence Day, 1947)

Happy 64^th Independence Day to all…

Let’s make this Independence day "plastic free". Today, when I was back from Total, I was observing little boys and girls at the traffic signal with plastic flags. Let’s not buy plastic flags and encourage everyone in buying cotton tri-colour flags. Let’s all follow the flag rules with due respect.

Picture courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/97911870@N00/3783681643/
वन्दे मातरम...जय हिंद...

Indian Rupee Symbol in your PC’s and Keyboards

2010-07-20T12:25:00.000+05:30

Cabinet have approved the symbol for Indian Rupee recently. Have we started using this symbol or should we wait till Unicode approves the rupee symbol globally. I guess we should start using this symbol. To get into all the PC’s and Keyboards, Fordian Technologies have worked on unique font for Indian Rupee symbol. I just installed this font on my system and it worked. See how it works.

Step 1: Download the Rupee Font Version from: Rupee font

Step 2: Copy the downloaded font ‘Rupee_Foradian.ttf’ to Fonts folder in the Control Panel

Step 3: Open Microsoft Word processor.

Step 4: Select the font ‘Rupee Foradian’ from the list of fonts.

Step 5: Press the button above the tab button from the keyboard.

The Rupee symbol is displayed.

Now if you want to write Rs. 25,000.00, you can write `25,000.00

Lets all start using the Rupee Symbol ` from now on.

Cheers!

A long drive and Bangalore traffic!

2010-07-05T14:41:00.000+05:30

I wanted to go out somewhere yesterday, somewhere outside Bangalore...to a quiet place where there's no commotion...most likely a village. I had been to a late night show of Rajneethi on Saturday, so…was very lazy to wake up early in the morning.

I left my house around 12.00 PM for the long drive. We had not planned a destination so our motive was to have a homely mutton curry lunch. As we started, from Silk Board onwards the traffic was horrible being Sunday and lunch time. Till we reached Nice Road the traffic part was annoying and I was losing my patience. Not only because of the traffic, it's because the impatient people were honking with the pesky horns endlessly. People honk in such a way that the people driving in front of him will head-in-the-clouds and give him space to move. I literally did regret for coming out from home and thought I would have had a relaxing day if I cooked from home and had my lunch.

The other day, a Traffic Police near Bellandur Signal was yelling at the people that they need to learn the traffic rules. Yes, in Bangalore people need to learn the traffic rules and ethics on roads.

Note: A humble request to the people who read my blog. Please follow the Lane Discipline, do not horn unnecessarily especially with slow moving traffic. Also, please don't contribute in noise pollution by fitting extra-ordinary high sound horns.

The traffic bummer was over and we were having our joy ride in Nice Road. It was then I felt it's a pleasant day only until a truck driver passed very close to us in such a speed that we had almost escaped an accident. But the truck driver wouldn't be sparred. His details will definitely reach the RTO office and the officials will take the required action.

When we reached the end of the Nice Road, the temple jatra/festival was going on in a temple there. Seeing the set-up, the thought what came to my mind is: This is what we came in search for. You know what, the people had set tents and each family of that village was preparing mutton curry lunch. I really wanted to go there sit with them and have that mutton curry lunch. But then, we din't want to disturb them in their celebration. We came further, we could not find the kind of village food we expected but we had our lunch in one of the normal hotel called “TAJ” in Ramanagar where you could find normal food.

A few kilometres from there, you will find Hotel Kamath and Jana Pada Loka. We headed towards 'Jana Pada Loka - Folk-Culture World' where you get to see the objects used by the rural people, rare collections of folk instruments and idols which are diminished and we seldom get to see. I was so excited to see the varieties which I've seen in my childhood alas I don't find them anywhere in my village now.

Jana Pada Loka is 53 Kms from Bangalore. There are several blogs on this place and you can visit the official website of Jana Pada Loka for more information: http://www.janapadaloka.org/

We had evening tea at Kamath hotel, you get awesome food here. You need to wait for long time, if you’re visiting this place at peak hours.

On our way back, it was the same traffic story which started from Bidadi till Sarjapur. One cannot escape Bangalore no matter what time of the day you travel. Bangalore has unparalleled traffic congestion and chaos. Traffic will be there, everywhere any part of the world. But, we all can help the traffic controllers and to the environment, by contributing our bit... little patience so that you won't start to honk or rush your vehicle...leaving few minutes early so that you won't have to speed up more than the average speed...managing difficult conditions with carefulness. You have a License to drive. Use it wisely.

There's a blog related to Driving Education in India. All those who own a vehicle, please consider reading this blog. http://driving-india.blogspot.com/

Also, visit this blog: http://www.vasanth.in/2006/03/13/bangalore-traffic-the-human-touch/

Snake...Snake..Snake inside the house!

2010-06-22T15:57:00.000+05:30

I was preparing my dinner at night yesterday. My room mate enters the kitchen searching some vessels and she moves out silently and calls me out. Without questioning I walk out and she says there's a snake down in the kitchen, let's run out of the house. Without looking here or there, we just run out of the house, intimating the owner that there's a snake. We run towards the security and the security wouldn't believe. How a snake will enter your house? He asks me, did you see the snake. Well, I din't see the snake. But my room mate says, she feels like she saw a snake like creature. The security ignores again, but we approach the watch man nearby and told him the same. A neighbour along with the watch man, enters the house, they search entire kitchen and not able to find the snake. But my room mate, is somehow not satisfied and she is not willing to enter the house without confirming there's no snake.

We called the snake catcher Hariharan (9886357110, 9880072276) who stays at Marathahalli. He says, he is partying with his friends and he will come only if we see the snake again.

We entered the house, not much exploring any part of the house. Scared if the snake comes from anywhere inside the house. And then, I somehow thought i'll have my dinner and my room mate again calls me from the kitchen. She went to drink a glass of water and the snake was trying to find way to go out. This time, I too was able to see the snake. Yes, I believed there's a snake inside in the kitchen. Seeing the snake, I thought it is a Rat Eater snake. And my room mate left a sigh of relief and says "Thank God! I'm not a fool". For some time, she thought she might have visualized about the snake.

We approached the watch man again. He was sleeping, and said let's look at it tomorrow. What do we do whole night and the snake is inside. We called Hariharan again and he says he's sleeping and won't be able to come. We browse for all contact numbers of snake catchers around Sarjapur Road. We find a contact Privthvi K and o luck. The number does not exist. Trying hard to find a contact nearby Sarjapur road with no luck, we find a number from the adventure group and he suggests to a person called Jayaraj.

We called Jayaraj, he was awake and seemed to be enthusiast when we told him there is a snake in our house. He assured he would come, but it would take around 45 minutes. We agreed and until the snake catcher arrived, the Watchman and the house owner was guarding the snake. By then, they had told it seemed to be a cobra which was hiding in the corner.

In an hour or so, the Snake Catcher arrived. He had 2-3 snakes which he had caught yesterday. He directly entered the kitchen, took out his torch. Torch was must in case if the power goes off when he catches the snake, it would lead to snake bite to any one of us. As he spotted the snake, he said it is a spectacle cobra. He caught the snake in few seconds time. Bravo..Awesome!!! He caught it's tail and got it to the hall. The snake was jumping up hissing on the snake catcher. He bravely, put the snake inside the cloth bag. Relieved for a moment. We paid 750Rs to the snake catcher. All went back to their homes.

Now, what do we do? We did not get the courage to go back and sleep inside. We sat there for sometime and decided to take our blankets to the terrace and sleep off there. Trying to sleep, chill breeze at the terrace, looking here and for any crawling creatures. We were just waiting for the dawn. What an experience!

Jayaraj says that he has caught the snakes even in the 4th or 6th floors. Snakes can crawl through the stairs, it can be inside the boxes when we shift some things, it could have been in the car or bike and entered the house. It can just enter through your main entrance. So, be careful, keep the doors closed, keep the house neat - away from cockroaches or rats, during rain the snakes come in searching for warm place. Above all, don't harm them if you harm then they will also harm you in return. If you find them, just call the snake catchers, they'll be available at least some of them.

Contact Details:
Jayaraj Bannerghatta - 9342596704

Hariharan Marthahalli - 9886357110, 9880072276

No pics for this post. We were so scared to take pics.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T19:09:00.000+05:30

Happy Mother's day mom. Your the best person in the world. Today, what I am is just because of you. You have supported me every time. You knew when I was wrong and when I'm right, when to scream at me and when to support me.

Love you always!

Happy Mother's Day! May all of you mothers out there have the most blessed day ever.

Say NO to Plastic Bags

2010-04-26T23:49:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I was shopping at the Total Mall and I was in the queue for my billing. I was unsure that I would be going for shopping groceries or somehow it skipped my mind to carry my grocery bag!

I was done with the billing and I was all set to come out with 3-4 PLASTIC BAGS. Somehow, I felt ashamed as a couple behind me, started screaming "NO PLASTIC BAGS PLEASE, HELLOOOOOO NO PLASTIC BAGS PLEASE! WE HAVE GOT OUR OWN BAGS!!!". There are people who take the effort to carry their own bags, whenever and wherever they go. I really appreciated the couple there.

As I walked out from the second floor, I could see a man who had filled two bags (Cloth Bags) full of groceries. I felt happy to see at least two people carrying their own bags and made their contribution in saving the planet earth. Hats off to such people!

At the same time, I felt sad for not carrying my bag with me. L

P.S: They are my shopping bags in the picture.

Plastic roads in India. Will it work?

2010-04-23T19:53:00.000+05:30

India’s first Plastic waste road has been built in Bangalore!

On the eve of Earth Day 2010, I was watching the earth day special documentary on reducing carbon emission - "Cutting Carbon Footprints" - in National Geographic Channel. A documentary that reminds all of us that we have a moral & social responsibility to planet Earth, and that we have to do our best to reduce carbon emission & leave a healthy planet for generations to come.

What caught my interest in this documentary is about a wonderful project that is occurring in Bangalore. A company is Bangalore has begun to add shredded plastic waste to road-laying materials. This morning I was browsing regarding this subject and I got to know some pro's and con's on this project.

What are the benefits of Plastic roads?

A company by the name of KK Plastic Waste Management Co. has begun to add shredded plastic waste to road-laying material (asphalt).

Plastic roads can better handle the pressure of incessant traffic and, most importantly, the harsh sun, pounding rain and other quirks of Indian weather.

More importantly, these "plastic roads" make use of tons of plastic waste. It is handy in disposing the tons of waste plastic that Bangalore’s residents produce daily.

Bangalore alone generates roughly 40 tons of plastic waste each day, or enough for about 25 miles of road. The project is off to a great start - so far 800 miles of sturdy city roads have been built, and the city has been rid of 4,000 tons of plastic waste.

Fortunately, rag pickers (trash collectors who are some of the poorest people in India) are paid to find plastic trash.

Shredded plastic binds the road material, cutting down on the need for constant repair. Since plastic is water resistant, there is less damage during heavy rains which account for the bulk of the damage to roads.

This project has allowed roads to become sturdier, plastic waste to be reduced, and it has proven to be a great way to employ people.

So far, the plan seems to be working.

What is not being considered is the degradation of plastic materials into smaller particles overtime. What happens when particulate plastic matter ends up in our water supply and is ingested by animals and human beings. Have you looked at research on this. Is anybody paying attention? Plastic as we all know does not degrade and the evidence is in our oceans whereby marine life is being heavily impacted by presence of plastics particulate matter.

Are we are creating another environmental disaster ten years down the lane?

Earth Day - 2010

2010-04-22T18:46:00.000+05:30

Great Ways to Celebrate “Earth Day 40″

# Wear something green

# Plant a tree - Plant a new tree to celebrate Earth Day

# Turn off the lights - Turn off all electricity for one hour. Light a candle and spend quality time with family and friends

# Pick up the garbage - Spend some a couple hours picking up litter at your local river

# Walk, ride or bike Skip the car! Walk, bike, or take the bus to work

# Skip the Steak - Give up meat for one day

# Save Paper

My thoughts on earth day 2010...

Climate change has become a greatest challenge for us at this time. But as the climate changes, it also gives us a chance to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy for now and for the future. At least if we all contribute in reduce, recycle, reuse mantra and make people aware of the green movement going around - we'll be successful in saving the planet earth.

Few things to note:

· Say NO to plastics - Take a shopping bag when you go shopping. Make it a point that you never leave home without a shopping bag.

· Purchase fresh food without packaging

· Save Paper - Hit the print button only when it is really required. For example, instead of printing your travel itinerary and every other travel document, load them to your phone. Saves paper, ink and electricity that'll be used to operate the printer!

· Save Water - Be really conscious about how much water you’re using for washing, Bathing, Shaving etc. Those extra couple of minutes in the shower could be using up clean water that’s needed in the local area. Make it a point to close the tap when you shave or brush. Specifically men keep the tap open.

· Always take your own water bottle from home. You save money and plastic use.

· when eating foods with small wrappers and there's no dustbin around the area, throw it when you find a dustbin.

· Take public transportation or walk/bike/cycle

· Minimise carbon footprint that we leave behind

· Small actions from a collective of individuals can make a big difference in the long run.

Good luck, think green and happy earth day!

Dreams come true...

2010-04-15T19:00:00.000+05:30

Happy to see someone happy, someones dream coming true...

Have a dream and work towards that.. dreams will definitely come true...when put into action...

It's time to live your dream...It's time to celebrate the happiness... :-)

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention..

2010-04-14T18:49:00.000+05:30

A well known Japanese proverb reads... "One kind word can warm three winter months."

A word, an action, one simple flaunt of warmth is more than you can ever imagine to someone. From saying Good Morning wishes to volunteering on any good task, there are number of ways to pass along kindness. The little things in life, which in fact end up being exceptionally priceless!

Most people want to make a difference, they're just not sure how. Luckily, there are many simple and easy ways to make a difference in your local area.

This morning I was browsing for random acts of kindness and here are few:

1. Smile - Sometimes, all it takes is a smile to a stranger. For example: to sales people, cashiers, delivery people, waiters/waitresses and the like. They always get nothing but the best smile which really seems to make their day, smiling is free and it never hurts.

2. Words - Speaking a word or two, cracking a simple joke, asking few questions like ‘How are you doing today?’, ‘Had your lunch?’, ‘Greetings’, ‘Asking for their name’ will make someone feel good amidst their hectic and daily routines.

“During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy. à Joann C. Jones”

3. Compliment - Find one good thing about everyone you come in contact with, and complement them on it. Comment on the character attribute, not looks.

4. Kindness - Do one act of kindness a day, to someone who you wouldn't ordinarily do it.

5. Patience - Have more patience with people. Listen to people who need someone to hear them.

I also came across these commitments which we can imbibe in us to make this world a better place, one person and one day at a time.

1. When you have a good idea, or that feeling in your gut that tells you that you have to do something, just do it and don't question yourself.

2. Try to go a whole day without thinking one negative thought, only good thoughts about everyone and everything.

3. Keep a thankfulness journal, and write all the things you are grateful for, everyday. You'll be surprised in the little miracles in your life.

4. A greener planet. Why not start now, by making sure our planet will be happy and healthy enough?!!

5. Mediation and Yoga. This is a personal suggestion to me because I truly believe I need it. (and I think it will help with my patience!)

6. READ & WRITE. KEEP READING & WRITING.

7. To never hold a grudge, you never know how little time you have left with someone.

8. To always be thankful for what I have and to not be wasteful, someone always has it worse off than me.

9. Kindness and sincerity makes the world go round so to be kind to those I care about and those I don't. One act of kindness can change a person's life.

10. Be grateful for those in my life, you don't have to have a lot of money to be a rich person. If your surrounded by those who care about you and who you care about in return, you are extremely well off.

11. Reduce, recycle and reuse. Don't waste!!!

12. Most importantly DO NOT WASTE FOOD!!! Like everyday, I prepare what is more than required, I order for more than required and the leftovers are into the garbage bags. We need to think of the people who do not get food to eat!!!

13. Do not negatively compare yourself with others. Everyone has their unique gift and appreciate the goodness in you.

14. Unplug all the random house hold objects that really don’t need to be plugged in constantly as in: cell phone charger, Computer, Hairdryer, Radio, Lamps, toaster, Coffee maker etc. Always make sure to switch off the lights when not in use. Switch off the mains when you leave your house. Turn off the gas when not in use.

20. Reduce your footprint...It's little things like this that make the world a better place.

http://www.myfootprint.org/en/take_action/reduce_your_footprint/

Click here to read about the image in this post: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralippay/4186404292/