Artistic sketch pens
I was playing with my son's sketch pen, this one was unique, have never seen each sketchpen could join together. So I thought why not photograph them.
Let me know whether they are artistically arranged. Looking for your inputs.
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Time for some drinks, Just glassware
Wanted to try some photos on still life. Recently had bought some wine glasses, so as to throw party for my friends at home.
Does it live up to the expectation of a high flier, Let me know your comments.
Lens: 18-55mm (standard lens)
External flash used.
Cool looking Chennai skies
Indeed cool right, I have been watching these skies for the past 2 weeks in Chennai, After the rains, the skies have been blue and clouds have become artistic. Some clouds are cascading with bright white hues.
Hope you like it. Do let me know your views.
Washed away
There's been plenty of time for random musings the past few days. As ever, a trip back home leaves me feeling content but conflicted. There's so much about home that is enticing and hard to leave behind: the warmth of my blankee, the free-flowing filter coffee, the parental units that I can leave all the worrying to for a few days. But I'm at odds with the city that my parents have chosen to retire in. In Chennai, a gentler-paced city that is charming precisely because it isn't racing with itself, I feel like a fringe element looking in on a party that I can never be a part of. In Mumbai, a giant-hearted tidal wave of a city, I sometimes come within a razor's edge of my sanity. In short, my heart is in so many places at the same time that home is destined to be somewhere in between.
Is home the place that you can stake a claim to? If it is, then how can we explain this? This National Geographic piece by Cathy Newman is an unabashedly sentimental ode to Venice, which she says, has one foot in a watery grave. The canals of Venice that have fed a million fantasies are also its undoing, says Newman. With every acqua alta or high tide, Venice's foundation sinks just a tad lower. With every new wave of tourists besieging the city, a few more of its indigenous residents are left adrift. Consider for a moment this startling statistic: The number of Venetian residents in 2007: 60,000. Number of visitors in 2007: 21 million. Whose Venice is it anyway? In these fluid times, cities can no longer afford to be ethnically exclusive. Try as they might, Raj Thackeray and the MNS will never be able to stem the mighty tide of migrants that pours into Mumbai every day. But Venice is not a pulsating hive of commerce; its very beauty puts limits on how much it can stretch its resources. Somewhere along the way, Venice seems to have sold out to the dollars that flood its canals, and Venetians have paid the price for it. Venice has always been on my wishlist of places to visit, never mind the dizzying prices. But now, $40 seems too high a price to pay for a Carnival mask, for more reasons than one.It's true what Newman says, "Kisses end. Dreams vanish, and sometimes cities too. We long for the perfect ending, but the curtain falls along with our hearts. Beauty is so difficult." I don't have any photos of Venice you haven't already seen, so I'll leave you with a photo of a stunning sky taken from my parents' balcony. Am I tempted to stay back in dear ol' Chennai? Sometimes.My first HDR attempt
The first photo is the HDR, and the rest of the following images are different exposures
When the rain is away, Children are at play
After 3 long days of rain, Finally the children had time to play.
Hanging after rain
The funny thing is the number of clips which is supporting the clothes.
Culture and Tradition
I am aware that I should refrain from boring titles for the posts but could not think of more appropriate one.
This one is about classification.
There are various forms of cities. Some may classify them A, B or C class or metro or non metro but I would like to classify them as cultural and other wise. Now, what the heck this means ?
Cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow are said to have their own culture, traditions,values and life. One may like or dislike them is a different matter altogether. Pehle aap, nawab,babu moshay are words which are identity remarks for these places. I think this identity lacks in newly developed cities like noida, gurugaon and other technical hubs of the north. Probably, in few years such cities will develop their own tradition and taste or will they be business centres for ever?
To sense what I mean, try visiting Kolkata during Durga Puja, Lucknow during Eid and you will know the difference.
Suggestions for title are welcome !
It's raining :)
Finally, the monsoon 2009 has hit Chennai.
Rain usually comes late here and starts late October or early November and continues for a month. Last year, hurricane Nisha plunged the city in waters for almost a week.
Usually it's me who catches the cold first but this time my bike which has showed the signs after the rains splashed. Last night, I had to take an auto to get back home after an hour long effort to start the bike and many thanks to apartment's watchman who was with me in that failed effort.
It's time for shorts and slippers :)
G-mark Induction stove, Not yet ready for Chennai
This is my second time I have paid the price for being early adopter, the first one was my Mahindra Renault Logan and the second one is the G-Mark induction stove.
Let me tell you why induction stove is still not yet ready for the Chennai or the Indian market.
As you can see the bill and the date of purchase and if you want to know where I bought it please follow this link, I am sure, I have to be ashamed of myself. The reason is that I bought an unknown branded electric appliance from a fair and not at a shop, for which I really paid the price.
How?
The next day the G-mark GM 91 induction stove did not work. It got over heated and started to rest in peace. So I had to call up the mobile number next to chennai address mentioned on the bill. No answer on the mobile phone. So searched the internet and found the website, called up their headoffice, no answer. Then finally my phone call was answered by the Tirupur branch, Guess what was the answer. "Please send us the product by courier to our office and we will fix the issue and send it back to your residence as soon as we fix them up"
On what trust will you send the product by courier. And who will bear all the courier charges, as a grieving customer will I have some more guts to send the product by courier with out a receipt.
So I called up the mobile number 9790527557 for Mr. Sherif Hussain which is mentioned on the bill. Narrated the whole story to him and he promised me to fix the induction stove by a week time. But that did happen after repeated calls and finally got it replaced after a month. Sad isn't.
That was reason 1 which I had stated above, now to continue with the problems. Why Chennai or India is still not ready for induction stove, people have been used to the rugged gas stove, you could handle ruff and tough and it would just last long.
As far as the induction stove is concerned, you have to pamper the stove. Trust me, I have not even pampered my two sons just the way I do it with my induction stove.
- I cannot place oval shaped vessels, only flat ones allowed
- I cannot place aluminum or ceramic vessels
- 25 Kg is the limit
- placing heavy object with care on the stove, very slow, I mean that. The reason, it could break the circuit right at the center.
- Should not tilt them as the circuits could break apart as they are loosely coupled when they are hot.
- Using more than 1000 Watts for heating could land you in trouble. The induction stove may rest in peace.
A very important point of the induction stove, excerpts below, a full read here
"Even a major brand like prestige does not comply with the standards, they provide induction element diameter of 15.5cm but provide cook ware with induction element of just above 19cm and total diameter of 30cm which creates a hot spot at the center, which is very much annoying ."
The next time you wish to buy an Induction stove, please buy tested, proven and branded one and above all which provides you with good service
