First Rains of the Season

With the first rains of the season hitting Chennai, penned a few lines....

First rains of the season

Have waited for long,
to get a relief from the sunny days.
Along with the farmer and the villagers,
for irrigation and drinking water.
Along with the plants, birds and animals,
to drench their thirst.

The clouds rumbled…
The birds chirped & danced…
The thunders roared…
And the lightnings flashed.
Finally it did come…
The first rains of the season.
Soaking the land,
gripping you with its aroma.
Everybody ran for cover,
while kids danced in joy.
Trees looked lush green…
And everything had a new sheen.

First rains of the season...

Weekend break with a bundle of joy - 3

Concluding part of a 3 part series of one of the most fun filled trip I have had in my life (given I haven't had many in the last decade or so!!!).

It was going to be high on spirituality. The day began as usual with Anu & Som packing for the day for Srishti as she was busy playing with us. Around 8.30am we left along with Namasya for the Matrimandir (http://bit.ly/bLn4BC). Sanskrit for Temple of The Mother, is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the center of Auroville initiated by The Mother (http://bit.ly/8maSvG), founder of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir, does not belong to any particular religion or sect.

Situated just outside Pondicherry, it took us about 30 mins to reach. While Reema & myself have visited it earlier, given didn't have the pre-requisite permissions we just saw it from the outside. This time we were going for a guided tour and offer our 'prayers' inside the sanctum! Upon reaching there we were told that Srishti was not allowed to we have to leave her with Namasya and vanish while she was busy playing. Sad... A battery operated vehicle took us to the Matrimandir. The Matrimandir took 37 years to build, from the laying of the foundation stone at sunrise on 21st February 1971 - the Mother’s 93rd birthday - to completion in May 2008. It is in the form of a huge sphere surrounded by twelve pedestals. The central dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance.

Upon reaching the dropping point we alighted the vehicle and proceeded to obtain our tokens. Soon along with the rest of the people waiting there a volunteer took us in an orderly silent queue (much like the tiny tots in schools!!!) towards the main structure. While waiting outside for the previous group to exit we got to see this golden 'golf ball' from close quarters. It really was a marvel structure. Really wished we could take the camera inside! Soon we got into the structure where we were directed to wear a pair of socks and proceeded towards the sanctum. It was a circular walkway up to the prayer area much like the Reichstag (http://bit.ly/g0RfLL) in Berlin. After the prayers we came out to see the place for a bit before going back to the battery car. First thing Anu said once we got out was 'Srishti!!!'

When we got back we realised this li'l lady had forgotten about us and was blissfully playing with some flowers. She also had her snacks and water. Such a sweet kid. I was famished and rushed to the cafeteria to have some lime juice. After getting recharged I cajoled Srishti and carried her along for some window shopping. We left from there back to the city to have lunch at the Aashram Dining Room - a place which serves basic food for all ages 3 times a day. Once done we proceeded home to relax.

Evening

We found ourselves back at the Beach road where Anu, Reema & myself sat chatting. Soon we were joined by Srishti, Som & Namsya. After a bit of shopping we headed back home. And soon it was time to say good byes, get into the car and head back to Chennai.

Time has flown....all 3 days of it. But as I said in the starting it was one of the most fun filled trip of my life. Thank you Srishti, Anu, Som, Namasya and of course Reema for the memories which I'll cherish for a long time to come....

4 years and going strong!

Well am talking about my marriage! Yup it was on 27th of August, 2006 that I got married. Time is flying at a swift pace too. As yet another anniversary was round the corner it was time of the year to pay special attention to wifey. This time round I had to make up for not doing much for the past 2 years. Given Reema has not explored much of Tamil Nadu I was keen on travelling to Pondicherry and finally we settled for the same. Though Gingerly at first she agreed to a 2 night -3 day trip to The French Dream with the stay @ Ginger.

Having made recent trips to Pondicherry I was keen to explore a lot of those places which I have not seen besides taking Reema to the usual suspects of Beach, Le Cafe, Aurobindo Ashram (http://tourism.pondicherry.gov.in/) etc.

On 27th morning we took a bus to Pondichery reaching there by 2 pm. After relaxing for a few hours, we took a bike on rent and went around town. The exploration started on a rather spiritual note visiting the Sacred Heart Church (http://www.sacredheartpondy.org/) followed by the St. Andrew's Church in a suburb called Reddiar Palayam. From there we went to the Aurobindo Ashram and the famous Manakula Vinayagar Temple nearby! Were amused by the temple elephant Lakshmi and her anklets! This temple is also very famous for poojas for new vehicles.

Are you looking for more spirituality in a single day?

Rounded off the day with a midnight dinner at the famous 24/7 cafe by the beach - Le Cafe.

Day 2 and the spirituality continued. We took a rather brand new Hero Honday CBZ Extreme bike on rent and started with a trip to the Panchamukha Anjaneyar Temple at Panchavati, in the Tindivanam-Pondicherry Road. The idol of Panchamukha Anjaneyar here is 36-feet tall! Interestingly the work inside the temple lookd very similar to the glass work in Churches! We were lucky to see the pooja and also a special pooja where in the entire Ram- Sita swayamvaram was being enacted through shlokas and music!

From there we went to the Chunambar Boat House, located at a distance of about 8 kms on the Cuddalore road. We did a round of speed boating much to the happiness of Reema and then went boating to the Paradise Beach. Oh man....its a place to visit, especially after those crowded beaches in Chennai and even Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. Given then only way to access this beach was through a boat ride! Its the most pristine beach I have ever seen!!! Clean white sand, nice waves and just 10-20 people around. We spent a good 2 hours enjoying the place and clicking a few pictures. Though we didn't want to but we left and headed to the hotel to take some much needed rest. The evening was spent at Hotel Ajantha Sea View (http://www.ajanthaseaviewhotel.com/) having a relaxed dinner.

On Sunday, 29th August morning, we had breakfast and set out exploring Goubert Avenue and the Beach Road culminating in a visit to the immensely popular Rendez-vous Restaurant. There I came across a rare painting of Ravana. After filling my tank with some really yummy fish while Reema slurped on Oysters, we went back to the bike rental shop, handed over the vehicle and left for the Pondicherry bus stand on our way back home.

By the time we reached home in Chennai it was around 10pm and we realised we have done a lot of travelling and had a lot of fun in lest than 3 days!!!

Pondicherry. Memories. Pondicherry. Recommended.

The French Dream called Pondicherry

The minute somebody utter the word Pondy (as its fondly called) memories of my first trip to Pondicherry get refreshed or rather from the days when I first thought of visiting Pondicherry. Its also the ending point of my planned bike ride from Rameshwaram on the east coast of India!

It was way back in 1995 (gosh its a good decade and a half back!!!) while doing my graduation that me and my friends planned to visit Pondy. Well studying in Madurai for us Pondy was Goa of South India! But then it was not until 1998 during my MBA days and as a part of a team representing my institute for a management meet did I finally land in Pondy. Before leaving I did manage to do some basic research of places to visit etc but given our schedule and the fact that we were going to spend most of our time at the Pondicherry University (http://www.pondiuni.edu.in/) which is slightly away from the centre of Pondy. We did spend a li'l while the next day visiting the Aurobindo Ashram (www.sriaurobindoashram.org/) at the Beach Road (http://wikitravel.org/en/Pondicherry). Left in the evening wondering when I'll be back next.

It was early 2000...I was working in Bangalore. Got an opportunity to meet up with my friends and travel to Pondicherry! This time I didn't miss the opportunity to see other important parts of the French colony, was absolutely amazed at the symmetry of the architecture, the overall layout, straight roads...

Over the last decade or so work took me from Bangalore to Mumbai and it was not until I moved to Chennai that Pondicherry came on my travel radar. Over the past year or so I have managed to travel 2-3 times. And every time I went I felt recharged. Especially the last time round I did get some time to travel to the market, Aurobindo Ashram and Beach Road where in I got to see the WW I Memorial, Gandhi Statue, sipped a coffee @ Le Cafe in the Goubert Avenue. Regretted that I didn't carry my camera along but did manage to capture some pictures with my Nokia E 75 (http://www.nokia.co.in/)...

With really affordable places to stay like Ginger (http://www.gingerhotels.com/), great cuisine to chose from and some amazing places to spend time in Pondicherry is a place to be. With my marriage anniversary round the corner am cajoling my wife to make a trip back to Pondicherry!!!

Sights & Sounds of Marina (Beach, Chennai)

Appa & amma are currently visiting us in Chennai. The weekdays fly in attending to the pressures at work. Sometimes it gets so hectic that am left with just enough energy to come home have my dinner and crash. And just about recover in the morning to rush back to work. As a result weekends are ‘recovery time’. This leaves amma at home through the day mostly bored.
So we decided to go out for a ride and stroll. With Chennai offering very limited options we headed to the largest and most popular of places during the weekend – The Marina Beach! Over the last year or so have visited several times. As soon as we reached amma recollected her days in Chennai over 3 decades back! Looking at the harbor she recollected the times when appa-amma came back from the Andamans by ship. Being a Sunday the beach was extra-crowded.

Every time I step out I wonder if I should carry my camera along and mostly decide against. This time I did the same too…soon to regret it. The sights and sounds of the Marina Beach were simply eye-catching – horse-riding, nomads performing rope tricks, traditional parakeet-aided future tellers, kids flying kites, rifle shooting, vendors selling sweet meats and finally scores of people taking a dip as the waves of the Bay of Bengal hit the shore. I look around as Reema asks me to estimate the crowd around which I estimate to be around 5-7000. Luckily I had my Nokia E75 camera coming to the rescue to capture these vivid images.

After a bit of strolling we settled down on the edge of the waves to soak in the gentle breeze…Sun god was kind enough to play hide and seek with the clouds. I wished we had a backpack with us…would have pulled out the rug and had a quick nap!
Couple of hours passed by…It was getting dark and skies had signs of rainfall. While I would have loved to stay longer, we left to get back home. With hours left for the weekend to end I was already thinking of another week ahead…Wondering that ‘Life has become part of work rather than the other way round’!

Food!

Ha ha...Wondering whats so unique or interesting about it? Well in this blog post am sharing about my second love. Yup it is. Well after adventure (which includes travel and photography) its food which has been my passion. People who know me will have funny expressions on their face as I don't look like your typical foodie.

The Beginnings

Born and brought up in 5-6 different geographies thanks to Appa being in the Indian Air Force (http://indianairforce.nic.in/) which also included travelling to see lots n lots of new places and then classmates and neighbours helped me get exposed to a cuisines from far and near at a very early age. From the quick n easy idlis and upmas to the chicken biriyanis and the aloo parathas! Today when I look back I feel so lucky to have got such exposure!

School

Kendriya Vidyalaya (http://kvsangathan.nic.in/) ....fond memories! I remember being the only south Indian in my gang my lunch pack was always in demand. And what do I get in return? Yummy parathas and vegetable dishes!

Summer Vacations

The very words remind me of my aatha (appa's mom, grandmother) and her fish fries (recipe: http://bit.ly/9pl4Fw) and chicken curry (recipe: http://bit.ly/ceb4Y1) among other dishes. And of course the vegetarian delights like the sambhar and rasam. Given I belonged to a family of farmers, milk and curds were always in abundance.

College

For graduation and post-graduation I moved to Madurai (http://bit.ly/9NIG34). Like any other part of the country, Tamil Nadu can be divided into gastronomic zones and Madurai is one big zone in it. Over the 5 years that I spent there I was introduced to some really mouth-watering dishes. The one which I will always remember will be the Chicken Kothu Parotta (recipe: http://bit.ly/a311VD)

In Bangalore @ work

Joined Lowe Worldwide (http://bit.ly/bzgikk) in June, 1999. Over the next 6-7 years, work, late nights, parties and weekends introduced me to some dishes which have become part of my life. From the Seeshmahal Masala Dosa (recipe: http://bit.ly/bCJhAv) to the legendary Empire's (review: http://bit.ly/dltCgK) Kerala Parotta n Butter Chicken Masala (recipe: http://bit.ly/cBnyMA) and Mango Milkshakes (recipe: http://bit.ly/aPXx5n) to Angeethi's (review: http://bit.ly/aEhhQY) Chicken Biriyani (recipe: http://bit.ly/87Lzbw) to Coconut Groveand over the weekends it was time for the Lakeview's (http://lakeviewmilkbar.com/) Chicken Club Sandwich (http://bit.ly/9j2MkB) and many many more places. I can just go on and on... With office situated on the MG Road, Museum Road, Church Street intersection there were over a 100 places where one could go have lunch and come back to work within an hour's time!

Upma @ Reema's place!

Every Monday religiously I would have Upma (recipe: http://bit.ly/bVdNP2) for dinner at Reema's place. ( a colleague then, she happens t be my wife now) One dish I have not been able to handle all these years but to convince her would visualise it as a sweet dish and polish it off. Leaving her place late in the night I would go searching for some Coke to help digest the Upma!

Over the next 3-4 years I shuttled between Bangalore and Mumbai. During my stay in Mumbai my food habits got a bit compromised. After some time like the rest of the Mumbai-kars I got hooked to the Vada Pavs (recipe: http://bit.ly/9Nrn2w) .

Marriage brought some stability to my food habits. Given Reema comes from a Bihar / Orissa background she brought with her knowledge of some lovely cuisines from that part of the country thanks to my mother-in-law...

Today when I sit down watch all those programmes on cuisines on Discovery Travel & Living (http://bit.ly/dtdOVc), NDTV Good Times (http://goodtimes.ndtv.com) I fondly remember my own gastronomic journey which ofcourse is still going very strong!

PS: The links are references top the recipes of dishes mentioned and not necessarily of the way they are made in the respective places!

An interesting reunion!

It was my trip to Delhi last weekend. I was travelling to be part of a summit which I was attending on behalf of my organisation - Kingfisher Airlines. This trip also gave me an opportunity to meet few of my classmates from school & good friends.

After landing at the airport, I took a cab to the destination where we planned to meet. Met my classmates Harvinder (Harry puttar) and Meenakshi. Was meeting them almost after 4-5 years. Was also meeting Harry's wife, Duma for the first time. We all had a quick lunch at KFC, lot of chatting and catching up. And soon it was time for me to go.

It was quite a reunion, given I met a punjabi puttar married to an Indonesian, a Delhiite planning to marry a Spanish gentleman (this being the biggest & most interesting discussion) and then there was me, the south Indian married to a girl from the Lalu land!

Quite a reunion!!!

The India Map

While chatting with one of my friends I was suddenly reminded of this India map which was in our house during my childhood days.

I think I was probably in the the 2nd or 3rd grade. We were in Nagpur then. Appa had just become a sports coach- specialising in Handball. Appa bought a huge India map and we neatly pasted it on the back of the bedroom door. It had everything we would require for our studies - states, capitals, union territories, cities, regions, roads, rail routes, rivers & oceans, distances etc etc. Helped us in history, geography, civics and current affairs. Like its Google now, almost every query on India would lead me to the map. Especially on Sundays would spends hours trying to study it. At different times of the year the reason of interest would be different. During tests & exams it would be study related, sometime in March it would be the route our train will take to reach Chennai, Coimbatore and ultimately Udumalpet (a small town in Coimbatore district in Tamilnadu) etc etc. From the day I could remember appa would travel to places near and far...defence bases...army, navy and of course air force. Once the map was up, one day appa started marking all the routes he had taken till date as a part of his official and personal travel, using a red sketch pen. Over the next week or so, about 40-50% of the map had red lines going in various directions. Then on any new route he took was updated on the map with a lot of enthusiasm & urgency. Most of them would be an extension of the already travelled routes but some were also new ones.

One day I realised this huge map of India had red lines criss-crossing in all directions covering all cities where you had rail routes or roads to...big and small. That day I was happy and surprised. Happy as if a major task was achieved and surprised at the amount of travel appa had done within say a decade. Envious too...as I still have memories connected to some trips of his...sunrise at Darjeeling, an explosion at Vizag, sand dunes of Jaisalmer and the rock gardens of Chandigarh.

Within about 4 years of buying the map, all of a sudden it seemed useless. In 1988, appa was transferred to Kharagpur, in West Bengal. We packed our bags and moved leaving the map behind....

Value for money - II

Its 05.05 am and am at the new and much touted Bangalore International Airport to catch a 06.50 am flight to my karmabhoomi - Mumbai! Wonder why? Value of money!!! Seriously. After a 3 day trip to namma Bengalooru courtesy an important business meeting, 3 days which flew away like probably 3 hours it was time again to pack! Hope this ends soon at least the frequency.

The whole of Friday went in the meeting, post which managed to catch up with an old colleague and good friend for a coffee. Updated each other on personal & professional life and future plans. Then went home and hopefully surprised my better half. Something which I'm somehow not good at. Dozed off in a jiffy to wake up only at 10 am. Haven't slept like that in a long time. Powercut saw wifey not able to make fish curry as she had planned. After some food from outside pushed off to Lintas ( the word itself brings a stream of memories happy & sad) to meet another old colleague and very good friend, Rajiv Chatterjee. Its been almost 3 years since we worked together but managed to keep in touch on & off. Spent a good 4 hours with him again discussing personal & professional lives. Went home had grub and crashed.

Sunday!

Had a full day to go but the early morning flight and the pains which come with were already playing on my mind. With power being kind enough wifey got busy preparing a quick breakfast and the fish which was overdue. Meanwhile I got busy working on official research. Was happy to spend some quality time and managed to get some really interesting info. In the evening we met up with a couple - Anjali and Santosh, good friends of ours. The venue was Firangi Pani. Post snacks when it was our turn to order dinner I was rather zapped to see a Roomali roti (for that matter all other rotis) costing Rs. 45!!! In all these years and all those eateries, big, small & fampous I have never hand such an expensive roti. Wondering whether it was really worth it, I ordered one. Soon I finished our dinner and went home wanting to have a quick nap.

Back to the airport

Given my flight timing, had 3 options, share cab pick up at 3.30, walk about 500 meters for a bus @ 3.30 am or order a cab for 5 am. The third option was ruled out given it would have costed Rs. 800 and not really worth it. Share cab for the same timing costing Rs. 400 was also ruled out. Decided to take the 3.30 am bus. Got ready by 2.45 am and walked to the pick up spot by 3.15 am. Had already spoken to the bus driver informing him about my travel. Bus was there at 3.30 am and within an hour I was at the airport. Feeling a bit hungry I proceeded towards Barista. By the side was another place offering Indian food, from steamed idlis and medu vadas to pav bhajis & biriyanis. I decided to go for a good old hot pongal. Hot it hardly was, over that it costed Rs. 90! Pongal for Rs. 90!!!! Medu vada sambar for Rs. 90! The bouncer was idli -sambar for Rs. 90!!!!!!!!!!!! If yesterday was about the most expensive roomali roti, today was the day of most expensive Pongal!!!

100 rupee notes don't have a value anymore. 500 & 1000 rupee notes go off in a jiffy...almost. If a salary of 5000 Rs. was not enough in 1999 so is a salary of Rs. 50,000 and more today. And in the race to make a decent living, time is flying, hair's turning grey faster and I think am increasingly missing the whole point of 'You have only one life, enjoy it as much as you can'....

Habit!

hab·it
n.
1. a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
b. An established disposition of the mind or character.
2. Customary manner or practice: a person of ascetic habits.
3. An addiction, especially to a narcotic drug.
4. Physical constitution.
5. Characteristic appearance, form, or manner of growth, especially of a plant or crystal.

As the definition goes habit is something you acquire over a long period of time....by possibly doing the same thing again and again. And everybody have their own habits...some good and some bad. I too developed my habits while growing up...some good and some bad. Slowly I realised that given we were shifting places with dad getting transferred and later me shifting places at work etc etc some habits get dropped off. And you acquire some new habits. Even I did.... And its very interesting to note when this happens!!!

About three months back we moved to Mumbai and later to Thane as a part of our job. During the period when we were in the process of figuring out where to stay, how we will travel etc. Convinced that this was the best bet we signed the papers and moved in. With every passing day our travel routine evolved....what time to leave the house, which bus to board, which train to catch, where to stand etc.

And the whole sequence has become a habit now...in not even 45 days....I'm amazed..... So much so that even if one part of the sequence doesn't go according to plan I get frustrated...

Habit...

The Mumbai Marathon - Are you game?

I have moved into Thane (Mumbai suburbs for the uninitiated) hardly a month back. Thane was earmarked as the place for my residence during the current stint in Mumbai. (Previous one was for a year in 2006).

And in this short time life has already settled down to a routine. Day starts with a walk (to warm up for the day) to catch (rather try and catch) the bus @ 7.55 am. In roughly half an hour we alight to reach the obstacle course! A 500 meter walk followed by climbing and alighting 25 steps on either side. Walking up and down these steps, when I look down its scores of legs at a furious pace and when I look up its a swarm of heads ( or umbrellas depending on the monsoon...Keeps reminding me of the mass exodus scenes from the Hollywood flicks). And if its raining you can expect a steeplechase....jumping past those water pools to avoid your shoes getting damaged. After all this it looks like you have reached the starting of a marathon race! In between all this we are constantly keep looking at the watch (like a typical marathoner tracking his time and difference between his & the current world record!).

At roughly 8.30 am we have officially joined the rate race for the day...we are in platform no. 3 waiting for the 8.52 slow local (time it leaves for CST). Over the week or so when we did our dry runs to decide on Thane and later test runs to see what time we reach, we decided that this particular train was the best suited for us. Being a slow local, the train stops at all stations. At around 8.40 or so the train arrives. We like the rest of the crowd eagerly lunge once again like the marathoners taking position. As the train whizzes past and the Ist class coach nears me I gear up, try, dodge and muscle my way through and get into it.
As I get in I look for vacant seats (don’t worry they are almost never empty!!!) and if lucky get to sit on one. If not then look for the most convenient space given it was going to get packed in the coming few stations. This particular part of the trip is good for the calf, thigh and shoulder muscles. Wondering how? It’s a standing of over an hour in the most trying conditions and trying to hold on to the overhead hanger. (or whatever they call it)

The time is around 9.30 am and you have been standing for almost 45 mins. You would be experiencing pain in your heels and knees (like a long distance runner). What makes some of us happy is the so called calorie burn!!! We would have reached closer to Dadar and the train starts getting emptied. We get to sit and recuperate. In another 15 mins we are at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus). Getting out of the train like lakhs of others do we walk towards our next mode of journey, the almost legendary Mumbai cab! Its another almost a 750 meter walk. May sound small but given the just completed train leg it looks like a lot. We get into the cab…relieved that we have successfully completed one leg of the journey…planning the return leg for the day.

As I have been talking right from the beginning this whole experience reminds me a typical marathon right from warm up etc with traces of steeplechase built into it!!!

The Mumbai Marathon - Are you game?

My Limousines in Mumbai

Have 72 - 96 alloy wheels...9 -12 different compartments and sections. Travel at 60 - 80 kmph. Wondering what they are? The great Mumbai local trains...

For the record, the system carries more than 6.1 million commuters on a daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world. And the entire economy seems to move around them!!!!

In December 2005 when I first ventured into Mumbai to work with JWT, I had dared to take on the might of the Mumbai workforce traveling by these trains, by taking a few trips from Kanjur Marg (the station closest to Powai on the central line) to Currey Road (where I need to alight for JWT). Did learn a few ropes, but by the time I could master them I moved back to Bangalore on personal reasons. Just when I was forgetting my experiences of that stint, here I was back in the city of dreams as some call it.

After much of huffing & puffing I have moved into Hiranandani Estate, Thane. Its hardly a month and am already getting tuned to having my life revolve around the local trains. Every day there is something to think about, what time to leave, which train to take, which one to board, where to stand to get in etc. A few trips and a friend of mine dubs it the best natural way to keep fit!!!! And everyday the challenge is will I get a place to sit and how early will that be.....

Today after a break the skies opened up and the great Mumbai Monsoon is on!!! Lets see what the monsoon train journeys have in store for us.....

Delhi & the Qutub!

It was a hot summer weekend in 2007 that we packed our bags to Delhi. Reema my wife was all excited for she was meeting couple of her close friends from college days. I have my memories of Delhi from my various visits to the city. Son of a Hon. Flight Lieutenant (retired) of the Indian Air Force though I got to travel a lot around the country, though never stayed in Delhi.

During all these years and trips I have been growing up wanting to own a camera. What sort of came in between was my father's belief that I was not ready to have one...the best chance being fiddling with an almost antique Agfa! My first camera was (and still in very good shape) a Kodak KB10. And this is the one ( was upset that I had to make do at that time) I carried for this trip. Travelling around the country and the countryside I developed a strong liking for photography. This became more and more serious during my early days in advertising. Working with the creative guys and some very good photographers around the country. And there started my serious hunt for a good camera. When I started the best digital cameras available in the country was 3 mega pixel camera and the manual ones looked oh so heavy!

Suddenly am wondering why I started talking about my camera...oh yes! Delhi! In all my trips to Delhi and even a year that spent staying very close to it, Air Force Station Hindan, Ghaziabad to be precise...I never got to travel around Delhi...to see the history...to soak its culture. And one day all of sudden I had finished my schooling and was to pack my bags to Madurai. This is when I realised that I may not get a chance to visit Delhi. I pestered my dad to take me around Delhi for a pure 'pose-click-go' trip on our Bajaj Super! Dad realising my urge also requested one of his colleagues to lend his camera ( a rather heavy and complicated piece, don't remember the brand). Once back from the trip eagerly sent the camera to the shop to get the negative processed and prints developed. An hour later my dad came back with the worst news possible. While removing the roll, it got stuck, and ripped into two. Alas...

I wondered if there went my memories of Delhi...till I was back there almost 15 years later. Even before I landed my agenda was very clear...besides meeting Reema's friends of course! The first place to visit was Qutub. Just before we went for this trip, the New Seven Wonders of the World poll was over and the winners were announced. While everybody around was happy, proud and what not that the Taj made it there were a few upset quarters about the Qutub missing out. This time with a lot of time on hand I set out with my wife and her friends to experience and soak in Qutub! Armed with my Kodak KB 10, I ended up spending a good 3 hours at the Qutub. Observing...reading....clicking and chatting. Was a tinge upset that I didn't have a better camera. The roll got over at Qutub itself. Was planning to get it processed back in Bangalore initially but as I started clicking I became more curious to see the prints the minute the roll was over. I managed to find a photography store and surprisingly I got the CD within 2 hours!!!!

Once back from the day's trip the first thing we did was to see what the CD had in store for us. The results were amazing. Over the next few days when I shared the pictures with my friends and colleagues they were couldn't believe that they were clicked with a Kodak KB 1o! Some of pictures got featured in my company's newsletter too. This also proved that my interest in photography was more serious than I thought. When I visited the place and also through the pictures I realised Qutub Minar has lots more to it than the main tower....