tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88342592114478765632024-03-14T04:18:56.229+05:30Chai 'n SpiceLet's talk !Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-64679727237700732942014-10-08T18:21:00.000+05:302014-10-08T23:38:10.825+05:30Social Media Week Mumbai 2014 : Social Media for Social Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The <a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/" rel="nofollow">Social Media Week</a> (SMW ) has to be the most looked forward to event in blogosphere. Not just for bloggers but for social media folk from across categories ... facebookers, tweeters, instagrammers, social media marketers, Big Brands ... the whole Net-working, Net-talking community! This is the chance for everyone to catch up on what is new, learn new strategies, gain new insights, and meet new people who 'speak the same language' .<br />
So when one of the the SMWs is about to be held in Mumbai, as well as in several other cities around the globe simultaneously, there is a buzz that refuses to be hushed down.<br />
5 whole days of events ranging from panel discussions to livestreamed talks ... and oh yeah, let's not forget the networking! I think I like that part the best, frankly.<br />
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I found out about the <a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/mumbai/schedule/" rel="nofollow">Social Media Week Mumbai 2014</a> from a post on <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" rel="nofollow">BlogAdda</a>'s page. ( I love BlogAdda! They have this very professional yet cordial approach which fits in so well with the way I like to blog. I had attended their bloggers' meet earlier in the year and thoroughly enjoyed it) And immediately rushed to register. But that's when I hit my roadblock .<br />
ermmm... how do I say this ? ... <span style="font-size: xx-small;">I had not activated my cards!</span> *major, red-as-a-matador's-cape blush!*<br />
So every time I hit the Pay Now button, my screen screamed back "Transaction not valid"!<br />
So mortifying ... and so frustrating.<br />
And, due to a peculiar set of circumstances, I was too house-bound to go out and do something about it. I could've screamed, but guilt made me settle for a frenzy of swearing that I would keep my wayward to-do list under tighter control. (But, I must confess that I don't have any intention of using a credit or debit card unless I really, really must, so this one item was always way down in the order of priorities).<br />
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So there I was, more or less resigned to missing out on a Don't-Miss! event. There were so many sessions that I was just craving to attend. A panel discussion on social media and brand value titled "Are brands effectively using social media? Are they too focused on volume instead of value?" was one. I would've thoroughly enjoyed that, I think.<br />
Just as I would have been interested in Rushina Munshaw-Ghildayal's Masterclass on Food Blogging. No, I don't have a food blog but I <i>have</i> been publishing '<a href="http://the-urban-gardener.blogspot.in/">The Urban Gardener</a>' since 2008, with posts about <a href="http://the-urban-gardener.blogspot.in/2013/10/growing-food-for-my-table.html">growing my own food</a> (among other things) so that is very much the same in many ways. And what is interesting for one blogger is almost always of interest to others too (we speak the same language , don't we? Some of us a bit more fluently than the others, of course!).<br />
I most definitely wanted to know about the "Social Media trends to watch out for in 2014" and I was thoroughly intrigued by the topic of "Brand YOU..." hosted by Tanvi Bhatt .<br />
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And then, breakthrough! One of the bloggers' Groups on Facebook where I peek in every so often had this post by the wonderful Sharon who blogs at <a href="http://www.thekeybunch.com/" rel="nofollow">The Keybunch</a>, asking whether anyone wanted to attend the SMW Mumbai as she had a ticket but couldn't use it. Brilliant! (er... about the ticket, I mean. I would've loved to catch up with Sharon who is a very dear friend!)<br />
Thank you, Harish, at Team BlogAdda for facilitating that ticket transfer. You guys have been super-helpful!<br />
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By now I had already missed 3 days of SMW but hey! I'm not complaining! Because Day 4 had this brilliant talk by the very eloquent Ansoo Gupta about "<a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/mumbai/events/using-social-media-to-enhance-your-travels-and-knowing-when-to-turn-it-off/" rel="nofollow">Using social media to enhance your travels ...</a>" and that was a topic very close to my heart. Not only because I am in the process of rejuvenating my own dormant but much-loved travel-blog, '<a href="http://india-a-h.blogspot.in/">India-a-h!</a>' and I have high expectations of hitting the road very soon (so delicious to plan!) and blogging about it, but also because Ansoo and I have been in touch for some time and planning to meet up but for some reason it had not yet worked out. So this happening with her talk the first on the agenda was almost like a Sign!<br />
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One word of advice: if you ever get a chance to attend one of Ansoo's travel workshops, don't miss it! She is a seasoned traveller who knows all the best places to go to <i>and</i> the best way to reach there. Even better, she knows how to find that best way. Nope, it's not by dumping that responsibility on the travel agent but by using the power of the social media!<br />
In fact, one of her insights was that travel has become cheaper because of social media. Now one can easily browse and surf their way to the most economical airlines and accomodations . Pinterest is one of the social mediums that is a great tool for finding interesting and exciting out-of-the-way places. The Thorn Tree forum, Trip Advisor, Zomato and Sky Scanner (among others) are all great resources according to Ansoo . I can second that! I use all of them regularly when I plan my travel. Or even when I'm just dreaming of travel.<br />
Go to the places where the locals eat, she advised. Talk to the people around to find great restaurants, etc. (and that's when you turn the social media off, incidentally).<br />
Such a lovely person. And a very wise traveller too, apparently.<br />
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And so the day continued with one inspiring talk following on interesting panel discussions. I particularly enjoyed hearing about "the emergence of new media powered content distribution channels" . Harvinderjit Singh Bhatia of Radiowalla Network had me going ,"but that's brilliant!" while talking about his radio-based enterprise. And I thought radio was dead?! All it takes is imagination and an enterprising spirit to reinvent the wheel. And, of course, social media!<br />
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There were way too many interesting events that I wished I could attend but with some being held at the same time as the other, it soon became a toss-up when deciding which one to attend finally. I hope the organisers will be uploading videos of the events so those who missed out can still have a chance of catching up.<br />
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One of the events I did attend was the one which discussed the role of "Influencers". I had mixed reactions to some of the opinions voiced here. On the one hand, I do realise that there is a group of bloggers who are blogging as a purely commercial activity. In fact, one of the panelists, <a href="http://thirtysixandcounting.wordpress.com/">Kiran Manral</a> (blogger and author) , even spoke of receiving a rate-card from a blogger who offered to "review" her book! Frankly this makes me wonder whether we can still ascribe the same term, "blogging" to what they are doing and the work of so many outstanding bloggers whom I regularly read, who spend hours and days polishing a line and a phrase in each post and who spend hours in extreme conditions to get the perfect photo for their blog.<br />
We really need to come up with a new term for those for-money-only bloggers (monggers?).<br />
No, I'm not looking down on them. It is purely a business for them and they are quite upfront about it. But it does go against the grain to place both types of bloggers on the same platform, don't you think? Especially since the attitude of the strictly-commercial-bloggers is affecting the attitude of others, especially the Brands, towards the other bloggers.<br />
That is the 'on the other hand' that I had not got around to. Isn't it high time that marketing professionals started acknowledging the power of bloggers and give them their due worth in terms of respect and value? A leading decor blogger of the country mentioned how she kept getting requests from magazines for free photos and articles in exchange for the "exposure that she will get". And this is a blogger with readership already running into several hundreds of thousands. Do you think a top feature-writer / journalist would ever get an offer or request like that?<br />
Yes, I know ... I can rant endlessly on this topic but I will leave it for another day, another post!<br />
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Day 5 and there is great excitement among the delegates. THE <a href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/" rel="nofollow">Jeff Bullas,</a> digital marketing guru, is due to talk and no one wants to miss this! His presentation on "the journey to earned traffic and authority on the social web" has the most attendance among all the events so far. And no wonder! No one wants to miss the Master!<br />
So what did I like about his inspiring talk? The personal story of how he started blogging was one. Then all those tips ...understand the target market, use Coke's 70/20/10 Principle (70% of Content is low-risk, 20% of content should be innovative and 10% can be high-risk content) and most importantly, "just start" creating content!<br />
More words of wisdom: You need to be in as many places as possible; not just Facebook and Twitter. <br />
So absolutely true! I really need to work on that myself.<br />
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And then there was BuzzFeed's Scott Lamb talking about "<a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/mumbai/events/namstae-buzzfeed/" rel="nofollow">Understanding the Art & Science of Social Sharing</a>" If you've ever visited BuzzFeed you'll know just how many of their posts go viral. And now I hear that there really is an art and science behind it ... remarkable! So how do you create a post that is bound to be shared? Match the format to the story, for one. And don't 'over-promise' with the headline while 'under-delivering' with the story. And no clickbait!<br />
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After this global touch, the next pair of speakers could not have been more different! Fahim and Tauseef, Founders of the Dharavi-based Be The Local Tours spoke passionately of how the power of the social media had created a huge impact in Dharavi which had hitherto been known only for its slums. The creation of part-time jobs and imparting a sense of pride and dignity is no small change. It is life-changing and was possible mainly due to the social media strategies that they had adopted. I could not have felt more proud of these two... bravo!<br />
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Obviously I was not the only one affected because the next speaker, Viral Oza of Microsoft, seemed very impressed by their tale too. His talk on marketing in the ever evolving market place could be applied to the world of personal blogging too : focus on 'what is the consumer take-out?'. The rest of it doesn't matter, according to him. Every touch-point is a potential moment of truth. Using each touch-point in a contextually relevant matter is key.<br />
But over and above all, Keep your eye on what you want the consumer (or reader, if you are a blogger) to take away.<br />
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So what did I take away from SMW Mumbai? An absolutely fantastic event hosted in a lovely place ( I loved Novotel on Juhu Beach!).Brilliant content and a well-streamlined event. Meeting so many new and interesting people in the social media world. Learning new strategies, new insights. Hearing some awesome speakers. Something I would look definitely forward to attending again. <br />
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<br />Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-13633080480125655922014-01-09T19:53:00.000+05:302014-01-10T11:12:23.531+05:30New skills and gifts for a new year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey, it's a new year already! Did you party? Catch up with friends? And, how are you doing with all those resolutions you made around January 1st? </div>
Let's start the new year on a happy note, shall we? Learn new skills, improve old ones ... 2014 is going to be so good!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">( image courtesy: <a href="http://craftandvision.com/">Craft & Vision</a> )</td></tr>
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For starters, head over to Craft & Vision to download David duChemin's free e-book on photography, '<a href="http://craftandvision.com/products/craft-vision-2">Craft & Vision 2- More Great Ways to Make Stronger Photographs</a>'. This 45-page e-book in pdf form is filled with tips and techniques in 9 articles that will help you to boost your photographic skills. You'll love it, I know. I just got my copy and can't get over David duChemin's "random act of kindness to the photography community". What an incredibly generous offer!<br />
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And, as long as we are on e-books, take a look at the free e-books offered by <a href="http://www.openculture.com/free_ebooks">Open Culture</a>. 500 great works of fiction and non-fiction (and some poetry) are on this eclectic list. You'll find Chekhov, Nietzsche, Proust, Noam Chomsky and JD Salinger there. As well as JM Barrie (Peter Pan), Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and L. Frank Baum.<br />
Put those iPads and Kindles and other gadgets to good use while commuting, my peeps! 500 books should keep you entertained for a long, long time.<br />
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If you're an art-lover, there are more goodies coming your way! The Metropolitan Museum of Art has over 300 out-of-print titles available to read online or to download <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/titles-with-full-text-online?searchtype=F">here</a>. Now what if I told you that these include works such as 'Leonardo da Vinci : Anatomical drawings from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle' ? This one promises hours of reading heaven!<br />
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Oh, and one last gift to start the new year right ... improve your education. Yeah,okay ... you quit college 20 years ago / you're busy during the day / you can't travel / you're too busy with other things most of the time / you don't want to sit in a class with kids young enough to be your grandkids / and on and and on ...<br />
But, the power of the internet has blasted all those obstacles out of the way. Now you have some of the best universities in the world putting together truly awesome courses which you can access online and they're free! So you could take some classes from MIT, Yale, Stanford and Harvard (among others) while chilling out in good ole Mumbai.<br />
And the plus point? Many of these universities give you a certificate when you complete the course. (A certificate from Harvard or MIT ... I know of people who would kill for even a letter from these institutions!)<br />
Take a look at this comprehensive list of <a href="http://lifehacker.com/plan-your-free-online-education-at-lifehacker-u-spring-1493571968">courses</a> . What a great start to 2014!<br />
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<br />Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-14803939241596118592013-03-06T00:00:00.002+05:302023-03-28T22:30:44.760+05:30Kochi-Muziris Biennale : The art of new beginnings - Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrRGY4r6q87mklukb_PIk02fPSbHmuIlGjJqbv0lb_Rd2uAxF4Y3BTXXhBack-fz6BwmfKYwrmEUyrHLLo0njgtBxEKoY6ddOLrkceiN74MPwz5NO9IfBZKVETymdPcrS4KgXb1I1uso/s1600/IMG_6571+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="740" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrRGY4r6q87mklukb_PIk02fPSbHmuIlGjJqbv0lb_Rd2uAxF4Y3BTXXhBack-fz6BwmfKYwrmEUyrHLLo0njgtBxEKoY6ddOLrkceiN74MPwz5NO9IfBZKVETymdPcrS4KgXb1I1uso/s640/IMG_6571+copy.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
Welcome back to the concluding post about the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. If you missed the first post, '<a href="http://chai-n-spice.blogspot.in/2013/02/kochi-muziris-biennale-art-of-new.html">KMB: The Art of New Beginnings', head here</a> to catch up.<br />
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... Following up to the awesome graffiti on the building which caught my eye, the next stop was Calvetty Jetty.<br />
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Rigo 23's (yes, that is the name he goes by) '<a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-18/kochi/35890215_1_vasco-da-gama-kochi-muziris-biennale-rigo">Echo Armada</a>' is one of the most interesting installations! Go to Calvetty Jetty to see this trio, but first click on the link. I loved reading the story behind these works. And I loved the reflections in the water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlLjIfcrNftXGnBKJXtdhv4kAWkPGpYLXBzfkTOQVwG0E6_nxAOok5iVncZ_3bo7x3Ry7jejj7OVI92eMzZ6RDd2hsG_VltV2Rx6qDu2V1OG6h7RH0hfuMxTyru0BZSbinMcbKQfS5Dk/s1600/IMG_6577+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlLjIfcrNftXGnBKJXtdhv4kAWkPGpYLXBzfkTOQVwG0E6_nxAOok5iVncZ_3bo7x3Ry7jejj7OVI92eMzZ6RDd2hsG_VltV2Rx6qDu2V1OG6h7RH0hfuMxTyru0BZSbinMcbKQfS5Dk/s640/IMG_6577+copy.jpg" width="700" /></a></div>
At first sight, one just sees this big installation in its entireity.But look a little closer and you see the bamboo, the rope framework and the shifting reflections in the water below ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5my7Z7iuStV3i0HO-W2m-vnYJX2l9nhYQZPQRgSgOkhBdf-pmg81FgZ3ItMfTl9YDpxloOvpybTbRWvQlAmDf6BpOv8qaS7kZXmGc5ND5vDrRt324yvuc8Hq0RPjdNMlzxl0dA0T_70o/s1600/IMG_6579+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5my7Z7iuStV3i0HO-W2m-vnYJX2l9nhYQZPQRgSgOkhBdf-pmg81FgZ3ItMfTl9YDpxloOvpybTbRWvQlAmDf6BpOv8qaS7kZXmGc5ND5vDrRt324yvuc8Hq0RPjdNMlzxl0dA0T_70o/s640/IMG_6579+copy.jpg" width="700" /></a></div>
... and then you notice the lamps. Brilliant!<br />
I wish I could see it lit up...<br />
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I wish I had better photos of the other 2 works that complete the Armada. They were definitely worth including here, especially the one which is partially visible in the second photo from the top.<br />
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The Biennale seems to be inspiring all the graffiti-artists in Fort Kochi. I found this on a wall near Moidu's Heritage, another of the venues of the KMB. Here's a rough translation:<br />
Our Biennale. "It's time to think differently, isn't it?"<br />
"Yes, you're right."<br />
"How about a cup of tea?"<br />
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Moidu's Heritage Plaza was interesting. I loved the video installation,'Citizen's Band' by <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/angelica-mesiti/">Angelica Mesiti</a>. Don't miss it! It's beautiful. Four screens on the walls of a dark room and mats on the floor to squat and enjoy 4 short films of "music being performed in an urban environment". The way these 4 films mesh and blend together is nothing short of lyrical!<br />
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Over at Aspinwall, the works are scattered over such a large area that it's advisable to follow directions and tour the place in the indicated order. Break out of that and I think I'd be so lost that I would've missed out on half the exhibits.<br />
One of the first works I saw here is 'Dutty Water' by Wangechi Muttu.<br />
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I know that is a bit tough to read but if you click on the picture you'll find an enlarged version of this info-text..</div>
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"Dutty Water is a work that expresses my thoughts on how the idea of a clean, pure, neutral space is in fact nothing more than a very well constructed and heavily guarded fiction. In my mind there is no such thing as intrinsic purity; purity is rather our attempt to sterilize a space or a thing to make it more digestible to our minds and perhaps more malleable to those of others." </div>
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'Last Supper - Gaza' by Vivek Vilasini is intriguing . Just as intriguing was the story that the models who posed for it are all art / design students. I can see how much they must've enjoyed this!</div>
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I loved Amar Kanwar's mixed-media <a href="http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/bien/documenta/2012/photo_tour/ottoneum/06_amar_kanwar">installation, The Sovereign Forest </a> . It is haunting! A long, darkened room with neatly labelled little trays of rice grains. Each one different. Each one indigenous. And so exotically named!<br />
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Each one unheard of (by me, at least). 'Fakir', 'Goruchai', 'Dudhukajhara', 'Hatipinjara', 'Kalatulasi'.... <br />
And therein lies the story. <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-23/kochi/35982075_1_rice-varieties-amar-kanwar-video-installation">It is a tragic story </a>of usurpation and power struggles and suppression. Of loss of land and livelihood and lifestyles. Of a people struggling to grow and sell the grains that are part of their heritage. Of industry giants who manoeuvre markets so that these seeds of heritage slip away.<br />
It is a call to remember what we stand to lose.<br />
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Rashid Rana's 'Language Series' is like a gift that you unwrap layer by layer. Except, here you discover layer upon layer as you approach closer to this work. Take a look at the following pics :<br />
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I know that the <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/rashid-rana/">official text</a> about this work says something else. Probably the artist himself meant something else with this work. But this is my take. Isn't that what art is all about? </div>
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I regret that I couldn''t get good photos of two of my favourite installations. <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/dylan-martorell/">Dylan Martorell's mixed media installations </a>play on the magic of sound and include a certain playfulness that is so refreshing. I can just imagine the impact these installations must have on young minds!<br />
Just picture a 10-year old walking into this room, touching one of the suspended soft-drink cans and hearing the sounds that it leads to, then touching a potted plant or a basket or ... and every time there is a new sound created.<br />
The creation of wonder! That's what makes magicians out of artists!<br />
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Okay, I know this pic may make no sense to you. I just wanted you to have a look at the room so you'll get an idea of the display.<br />
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On the wall, the neon sign looks like gibberish.<br />
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But look at the reflection in the water ... Alfredo Jaar's 'Cloud for Kochi' is brilliant! I love this! Using Kalidasa's 'Meghadoot' in a modern context and it is still lyrical.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">L.N.Tallur's 'Veni, Vidi, Vici' has to be one of the most photographed installations of the KMB. At first, I did wonder what these 2 banks of roof tiling were doing in an art event. But then, never underestimate anything that you find at the KMB! </span></div>
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See what I mean?<br />
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Who would dream of finding yogis sprouting from a terracotta tiled roof?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZfOkeNK5jM_Thk48PYLe23VqV3JTkWMUWxXnJrXtGnW15VGejP4UXJTyUiarDKnmy3rIkSV7X6B8KMj1-doL3bbV3FefbpAdEXrZ1CIwkNgYwYfjqOwwbfFHk7nd-QsxPKK45B_kBos/s1600/IMG_6663+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZfOkeNK5jM_Thk48PYLe23VqV3JTkWMUWxXnJrXtGnW15VGejP4UXJTyUiarDKnmy3rIkSV7X6B8KMj1-doL3bbV3FefbpAdEXrZ1CIwkNgYwYfjqOwwbfFHk7nd-QsxPKK45B_kBos/s640/IMG_6663+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even if they have conquered gravity and all possible laws of physics and seem able to conquer the viewers sense of wonder too?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9xIu3TKpb55ko6rFy1Nc7XKqSIplzx24fAixZOd3v5wBRMBgE7DsIVYuanOaAbbPXzb4DT9qtvzSOwC9stNP3kazru1hOHgX6vFbU2Nr1fQOc8SWRxHmAKNYLhflUI3Lf8I53zvqZa4/s1600/IMG_6668+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9xIu3TKpb55ko6rFy1Nc7XKqSIplzx24fAixZOd3v5wBRMBgE7DsIVYuanOaAbbPXzb4DT9qtvzSOwC9stNP3kazru1hOHgX6vFbU2Nr1fQOc8SWRxHmAKNYLhflUI3Lf8I53zvqZa4/s640/IMG_6668+copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Sheela Gowda and Christoph Storz's 'Grinding Stones' . I love the way they used something so common-place as this piece of kitchen equipment from a few decades back. <br />
These discarded stones could tell so many stories. Of spices and batters ground, of feasts, of weddings and family get-togethers and home-comings ... Such an intrinsic part of the home, almost like the foundation!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92QzPrPuK574ZO01ipklLn_Clkr0jFXOJLVD_vQcvYvenV81_Z19l60uDSCIivhopxFzPLbX3VoiTqiNFY8RVMldRaeAKbW9gA5QWuGJ8hVRiUPw0gQrzve_K3G4jidq_5jO3YAe5PnQ/s1600/IMG_6677+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="740" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92QzPrPuK574ZO01ipklLn_Clkr0jFXOJLVD_vQcvYvenV81_Z19l60uDSCIivhopxFzPLbX3VoiTqiNFY8RVMldRaeAKbW9gA5QWuGJ8hVRiUPw0gQrzve_K3G4jidq_5jO3YAe5PnQ/s640/IMG_6677+copy.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
I love the space where they displayed this installation and it looks like I am not alone. Several people chose to click as many photos of the view as of the installation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1PzIfjR3zODzykx6nnjxVcN8f5xhrVMt6L2vdGGtKQsCw-rdUau5K1DTlAMWKHk-XZ8NmazB7xGCHI8mgG9oJ3IgX3EoWhNwGjLgmHQ1Arbq6SN4FbMsnaUAwLk1TcWdSgKVf_Ec8tI/s1600/IMG_6681+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1PzIfjR3zODzykx6nnjxVcN8f5xhrVMt6L2vdGGtKQsCw-rdUau5K1DTlAMWKHk-XZ8NmazB7xGCHI8mgG9oJ3IgX3EoWhNwGjLgmHQ1Arbq6SN4FbMsnaUAwLk1TcWdSgKVf_Ec8tI/s640/IMG_6681+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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Go over to Vivan Sundaram's 'Black Gold' to get a taste of history. Real history! He used pottery shards found at the excavation site at <a href="http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/tomber/index.html">Pattanam</a> (which is believed to be the location of Muziris) to create this large story-map of this ancient port-city that sank into anonymity following a flood. I read about the intriguing story behind this installation <a href="http://www.kochivibe.com/tag/artist-vivan-sundaram/">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmER-F6ftcx38Yg_oMiv6uoK0t8kATUjRbInPh61Pa7SwxyW5d8Ffm8a6XD3_XzJHKCpga7SSUU6VJZBf26L9eQFBSiwcs_lNRz6v4tCvRVbALvyVOiNIn5ZS3tQEZ-OZeqrxN2or1xs/s1600/IMG_6683+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmER-F6ftcx38Yg_oMiv6uoK0t8kATUjRbInPh61Pa7SwxyW5d8Ffm8a6XD3_XzJHKCpga7SSUU6VJZBf26L9eQFBSiwcs_lNRz6v4tCvRVbALvyVOiNIn5ZS3tQEZ-OZeqrxN2or1xs/s640/IMG_6683+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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There is a sense of swirling and flowing, much like that of a river. And of memories.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIB5q8ccedshY4Z0SxcCWJySdpoLeyk0lXyQJ1mfbxStUpCnwHv_8ulZwPpfMRpjbMM00I1Hkeoi-IhmjOl8ePPUQundZrjuW3PfW1BWR9z1iehgtX4xBiK7vLcTBabG4K0-zCkDryqU/s1600/IMG_6686+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIB5q8ccedshY4Z0SxcCWJySdpoLeyk0lXyQJ1mfbxStUpCnwHv_8ulZwPpfMRpjbMM00I1Hkeoi-IhmjOl8ePPUQundZrjuW3PfW1BWR9z1iehgtX4xBiK7vLcTBabG4K0-zCkDryqU/s640/IMG_6686+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Subodh Gupta's installation is <a href="http://kochibiennale.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/boating-with-subodh-gupta/">huge.</a> Both in terms of size as well as its story. It is a familiar one in Kerala and over most of India too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjwQidtbfo7dwzHuEg_wwXr_xwVItb1etNXZk8HmxRejqDgvnJkCwV-vwC5IH63C5OIrkScg2FOq8q0r9gvUpdgp46JOPtZ7ztPN4pT9p40eKiwlgM4HxzvngT1tV7wj7vzw_A5QfyjY/s1600/IMG_6688-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjwQidtbfo7dwzHuEg_wwXr_xwVItb1etNXZk8HmxRejqDgvnJkCwV-vwC5IH63C5OIrkScg2FOq8q0r9gvUpdgp46JOPtZ7ztPN4pT9p40eKiwlgM4HxzvngT1tV7wj7vzw_A5QfyjY/s640/IMG_6688-a.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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I've never been surrounded by so much colour! Thank you, <a href="http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/events/kerala/kochi-muziris-biennale--zhang-enli/articleshow/17467624.cms">Zhang Enli.</a> And I loved the pics showing him creating this (see the link in the list at the end of the post).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovdVUSuqkoJwkC8HiZjtQTACi60Ji8kgBH2yPSVNwSu0oX2KjOR0r0tdNNZAveR_YYAQciu9260oqkEwAH-mUm-SOH_xrQ3kH0exQU4Tv2FvO77c1qFOx9SCkG97jzW_3FKYfyN4Ehvg/s1600/IMG_6693+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovdVUSuqkoJwkC8HiZjtQTACi60Ji8kgBH2yPSVNwSu0oX2KjOR0r0tdNNZAveR_YYAQciu9260oqkEwAH-mUm-SOH_xrQ3kH0exQU4Tv2FvO77c1qFOx9SCkG97jzW_3FKYfyN4Ehvg/s640/IMG_6693+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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I smelled Anant Joshi's '<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/anant-joshi/">Three Simple Steps</a>' long before I saw it. It smelled like all the small-time theatres I've been to back in the days when multiplexes were not even dreamt of. Seriously! The overpoweringly strong smell of attar hits you like a giant wave and pulls you in. Seeing it is enchanting! Rows upon rows of liquid dispensers using attar instead of mosquito-repellant, have been harnessed to create a very striking sight-and-smell installation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVq6Dyu-hYN1k_v85I5N1YUihFrjRIdIe4JFzKEYdLgNGvH_QS4hZu93KNzDxd96fLMcmOyq5u7ULs10EMs6zNkTjod5iM2ZPnpf8mQyIWHtMEg4AUkWZyTFy5wOuvOE7fuRnvCRMQcg/s1600/IMG_6694+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVq6Dyu-hYN1k_v85I5N1YUihFrjRIdIe4JFzKEYdLgNGvH_QS4hZu93KNzDxd96fLMcmOyq5u7ULs10EMs6zNkTjod5iM2ZPnpf8mQyIWHtMEg4AUkWZyTFy5wOuvOE7fuRnvCRMQcg/s640/IMG_6694+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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Somehow all those rows of lights reminds me of the walls of temples lit up with lamps at festival time. And this little 'room' set in one of the walls just reinforced that image in my mind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Nof6eZJYtcP9plZoFQYsbLPMO5HgPvmnx6B_-ftWixLAsHxCrz00u1Cwprg8BeaUQieSpXbwiU76wScSZU4wHZ6XSKPKwyuYrclCdLfosTL4sNjdwnHHH_6Z5GjHx1KAfkCWoM6CSs/s1600/IMG_6696+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Nof6eZJYtcP9plZoFQYsbLPMO5HgPvmnx6B_-ftWixLAsHxCrz00u1Cwprg8BeaUQieSpXbwiU76wScSZU4wHZ6XSKPKwyuYrclCdLfosTL4sNjdwnHHH_6Z5GjHx1KAfkCWoM6CSs/s640/IMG_6696+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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Here's what I found when I peeked in!</div>
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From here on my camera gave up. It was growing late and the lack of bright light made me pass up several artworks for this post. One of them was the passage filled with painted postcards by children from various schools. It's wonderful that an art event pays heed to the new generation waiting in the wings. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFJzkFcQmzl_i1q2BSBwri95uvTTR5AB5T6YGJqhaphqOSHY341n6oo9p428PQy3f-lWHNpb0qDsyk9mRjgxGGxMIz-DZj7gVhNUPNa6DMMnoj-UYmsGVQrun4mowdur2bxE_ksspEyc/s1600/IMG_6716+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFJzkFcQmzl_i1q2BSBwri95uvTTR5AB5T6YGJqhaphqOSHY341n6oo9p428PQy3f-lWHNpb0qDsyk9mRjgxGGxMIz-DZj7gVhNUPNa6DMMnoj-UYmsGVQrun4mowdur2bxE_ksspEyc/s640/IMG_6716+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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This huge nest-like installation suspended outside is intriguing! Srinivasa Prasad's 'Erase' provides a gunny-bag inclined pathway to approach the bamboo structure. Once there, the bamboo 'nest' is a receptacle for one's negativity and bad karma. Leave it all behind! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwebuu6j1quZQdkg7gTJTM1ibLqaiMlkJVrKNlb3aK1nY8sJKF9z4-JURQO3XAstRzNu2Uno4SfCQm9i0VUVuFlVEUmsJxBffSSAWZXhh9rTA8JaSm77C35hMfzbbyzCfEd4P51x4oNG8/s1600/IMG_6734+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwebuu6j1quZQdkg7gTJTM1ibLqaiMlkJVrKNlb3aK1nY8sJKF9z4-JURQO3XAstRzNu2Uno4SfCQm9i0VUVuFlVEUmsJxBffSSAWZXhh9rTA8JaSm77C35hMfzbbyzCfEd4P51x4oNG8/s640/IMG_6734+copy.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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I loved this! 'Chhap', created by some <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-10/ahmedabad/37020068_1_kochi-muziris-biennale-aspinwall-house-colours">students of CEPT university,</a> uses Kerala's favourite ... the coconut (or rather, its shell) ... to make this. It is so fun! And, having <a href="http://www.cept.ac.in/">CEPT</a> alumna, Mridula Jose, interior architect and VP of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/CGH-Earth/197663523586054?fref=ts">CGH Earth</a>, filling me in on all the background details and behind-the-scenes stories, just added to it.</div>
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I loved the various designs on the shells. Drilled, painted, carved .... I just wish the light was good enough for me to take better pictures!</div>
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<img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiZcQcytvPUr19IM5YQanKiaYZZtuUhYuzPJ7s2sJCUSzh7N04AE4prkQDfYYC981T9fM-LswRJNg_Xv1ID2tHD1chH23iTuq1oMPzJM21vjU0IWrqLRG9c1MM8iHwY9XtB8jjG-Txkg/s640/IMG_0610+copy.jpg" width="700" /></blockquote>
But here is just one close-up (blur and all!) to give you an idea of this work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQNkhmkvtxoud-es2jtNm9GuRO6pWSdMqDgpEFV5JpVX_nFQ8ivYKXWuhcuao9fwZxYfE46A6zfZ2OKA3ykc7ie18GVuGxXlL7jMYI-sqC-s1H4Djp2rsZNAKEoMrj9X1CmN4M-Z92o0/s1600/IMG_6743+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQNkhmkvtxoud-es2jtNm9GuRO6pWSdMqDgpEFV5JpVX_nFQ8ivYKXWuhcuao9fwZxYfE46A6zfZ2OKA3ykc7ie18GVuGxXlL7jMYI-sqC-s1H4Djp2rsZNAKEoMrj9X1CmN4M-Z92o0/s640/IMG_6743+copy.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth/art">David Hall</a> is one of my favourite places in Fort Kochi. I love the ambience of this old Dutch structure (almost as much as the fact that hearsay links it to Hendrik van Rheede who had the brainwave of compiling the 'Hortus Malabaricus', a database of Kerala's many medicinal plants ).<br />
But that was in the past. Today, David Hall is a part of <a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth">CGH Earth</a>, and has been transformed into one of the region's most interesting art galleries, promoting local art and culture. It was also the last KMB venue where I decided to stop by.<br />
I'm so glad that so many of the original architectural features of this 17th-century structure have been preserved. Too many of these lovely old buildings are being re-modelled to fit into convoluted kitschy ideas of what 'vintage' looks like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23IsQBrMuMEKlklIUYa8gUkN9WZ4nSJepsFxirJOey12eL-NLDElfsyNxCxocW9RYTQCVSc_2jFozi7_oXkqZj6WDeXMuovG8pquEoZNrlweCKfmMR0JUW3qqC8_6FG3vDuwIUa2CJmY/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23IsQBrMuMEKlklIUYa8gUkN9WZ4nSJepsFxirJOey12eL-NLDElfsyNxCxocW9RYTQCVSc_2jFozi7_oXkqZj6WDeXMuovG8pquEoZNrlweCKfmMR0JUW3qqC8_6FG3vDuwIUa2CJmY/s640/IMG_0044.JPG" width="900" /></a><br />
The fact that it has an outdoor cafe set in a very green but not too clipped and manicured garden makes it even more delightful.<br />
I found out that this where several workshops are also held, a recent one being conducted by Guet, sculptor and artist, for children, in creating kinetic art using scrap material. Love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKIw6rYn0TuDQS5HDDxAgp3WUnJwqvoIzX35ySHXGZ1vCh3EoK0xO92EiLq1kTGjU9uGQlO7gGmC1Is8JLdVq_1c7IscPmMeZry_qHmylg64S2BRJBON0OaawCIeupwOd_Eomx_dWf7Q/s1600/64085_498313373547363_595648604_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKIw6rYn0TuDQS5HDDxAgp3WUnJwqvoIzX35ySHXGZ1vCh3EoK0xO92EiLq1kTGjU9uGQlO7gGmC1Is8JLdVq_1c7IscPmMeZry_qHmylg64S2BRJBON0OaawCIeupwOd_Eomx_dWf7Q/s320/64085_498313373547363_595648604_n.jpg" width="740" /></a></div>
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Just as much as I love this. <a href="http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=bose-krishnamachari&iid=18&articleid=428">Bose Krishnamachari</a>'s LaVa (Laboratory of Audio Visual Arts) project is one that sings to my heart. </div>
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I just wish I had enough time to sit down and read all those books (or at least some of them! )</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmAl2ajStvvzqtnVa-aQz6ts2Lo2VLltS4KzLkX7Ly7g-Ser3dc3BtMoUu4F3Up1UxgqDRCowZaHXQUHLWFdPV6JmzZYuvRdo9JEJACpali-LOKFc2Al6x6rFLDW9Fme-KuAU5Mj6NNA/s1600/IMG_6751+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmAl2ajStvvzqtnVa-aQz6ts2Lo2VLltS4KzLkX7Ly7g-Ser3dc3BtMoUu4F3Up1UxgqDRCowZaHXQUHLWFdPV6JmzZYuvRdo9JEJACpali-LOKFc2Al6x6rFLDW9Fme-KuAU5Mj6NNA/s640/IMG_6751+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this was another section of the gallery where an exhibition of tribal art was going on. Such a delicious juxtaposition of the urban contemporary to tribal art from some of the most under-developed parts of the country! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoOB2QSRDuu4WKs6PVY0t-gSH-rWHkBa5dLrUKxdzXdYf5i7jsX4F6WYcdgddvfD0WA-1xRiZGRkiCH7cUXvchXhtobPV89qFCi1fXRdWNJtPltFNfxMnaKTl-_NX51yetU9l8Vf74hE/s1600/for+Sunita+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoOB2QSRDuu4WKs6PVY0t-gSH-rWHkBa5dLrUKxdzXdYf5i7jsX4F6WYcdgddvfD0WA-1xRiZGRkiCH7cUXvchXhtobPV89qFCi1fXRdWNJtPltFNfxMnaKTl-_NX51yetU9l8Vf74hE/s640/for+Sunita+copy.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
I missed this! The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.415308178548702.97194.128095490603307&type=3">Cosmic Matrimony Dartboard</a> by Vanessa Meister and Krishnan Varma is so super-fun and wacky that I can feel myself begin to grin all over again. This talented duo have their own separate spheres of work (Krishnan is an <a href="http://meistervarma.com/">architect</a>, while Vanessa is a fashion designer whose designs sell under the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trumpet-by-Meister/128095490603307">Trumpet by Meister</a> label) but worked together on this installation.<br />
Go take a look at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.415308178548702.97194.128095490603307&type=3">album</a> on Facebook ... the concept is hilarious! (there I go, grinning again!)<br />
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There are way too many works of art which I missed out on , either due to lack of time or because the light was not good enough to capture good photos or because this post is seriously becoming way too picture-heavy. I keep promising myself that I'm going to be there bright and early next time around, in 2014, for the second edition of the KMB. Until then ... hope you enjoyed seeing the Biennale through this post.<br />
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<i>All the photos, except the last one and 2 pics of David Hall, were taken by me. </i><br />
<i>Photo of 'Cosmic Matrimony Dartboard' : by Vanessa Meister (published here with permission)</i><br />
<i>The photo of Bose Krishnamachari's LaVa Project and the one showing the outdoor cafe of David Hall were shared by CGH Earth.</i><br />
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Links :<br />
Kochi-Muziris Biennale : <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/the-kochi-muziris-biennale/">About </a><br />
<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/category/interviews/">Interviews</a><br />
Muziris : <a href="http://www.muzirisheritage.in/muziris-heritage.html">http://www.muzirisheritage.in/muziris-heritage.html</a><br />
Pattanam : <a href="http://www.muzirisheritage.in/pattanam-excavation-site.html">http://www.muzirisheritage.in/pattanam-excavation-site.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/12/stories/2011061254420500.htm">http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/12/stories/2011061254420500.htm</a><br />
<a href="http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/tomber/index.html">http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/tomber/index.html</a> <br />
Rigo 23 : 'Echo Armada' <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-18/kochi/35890215_1_vasco-da-gama-kochi-muziris-biennale-rigo">article</a><br />
Angelica Mesiti : <a href="http://www.angelicamesiti.com/">http://www.angelicamesiti.com/ </a><br />
<a href="http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/portraits-from-the-kochi-biennale-video-artist-angelica-mesiti/"> Interview</a><br />
Wangechi Muttu :<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/wangechi-mutu/"> http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/wangechi-mutu/</a><br />
<a href="http://dailyserving.com/2010/04/interview-with-wangechi-mutu/"> Interview</a><br />
Rashid Rana : <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/rashid-rana/">http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/rashid-rana/</a><br />
Amar Kanwar : <a href="http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/bien/documenta/2012/photo_tour/ottoneum/06_amar_kanwar">The Sovereign Forest</a><br />
<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/amar-kanwar/"> http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/amar-kanwar</a>/ <br />
Alfredo Jaar : <a href="http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/questionnaire-alfredo-jaar/">Article</a><br />
Sheela Gowda : <a href="http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/events/kerala/kochi-muziris-biennale--sheela-gowda/articleshow/17477370.cms">Photogallery at TOI</a><br />
Vivan Sundaram : <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/vivan-sundaram/">http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/vivan-sundaram/</a><br />
Subodh Gupta : <a href="http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/subodh_gupta.htm">http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/subodh_gupta.htm</a><br />
Zhang Enli : <a href="http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/77Arts10347.html">http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/77Arts10347.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-opinion/news/2011-10-03/zhang-enli">http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-opinion/news/2011-10-03/zhang-enli</a>/<br />
Anant Joshi : <a href="http://westheavens.net/en/artist/joshi-anant/">http://westheavens.net/en/artist/joshi-anant/</a><br />
Srinivasa Prasad : <a href="http://www.artindiamag.com/quarter04_04_10/profiles_Marta04_04_10.html">http://www.artindiamag.com/quarter04_04_10/profiles_Marta04_04_10.html</a><br />
<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/srinivasa-prasad/"> http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/srinivasa-prasad/</a><br />
CEPT University : <a href="http://www.cept.ac.in/">http://www.cept.ac.in</a>/<br />
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Endless-cups-of-tea-cigarette-butts-and-concept-of-Cept/articleshow/18438378.cms">Article</a><br />
David Hall : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Hall-Art-Gallery-and-Cafe/149716475081416?ref=ts&fref=ts">On Facebook</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.indiatravelite.com/feature/davidhallcochin.htm">http://www.indiatravelite.com/feature/davidhallcochin.htm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth/art">http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth/art</a><br />
CGH Earth : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/CGH-Earth/197663523586054?fref=pb">On Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth">http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cghearth.com/traveller/earthcalling">Earth calling</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cghearth.co.in/">Album</a><br />
Hortus Malabaricus : <a href="http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/b11939795">download</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/19/stories/2004021911630300.htm">http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/19/stories/2004021911630300.htm</a><br />
Bose Krishnamachari : <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NPbhq3n9gMyFZD5grPODXP/Bose-Krishnamachari--Why-do-museums-become-mausoleums.html?facet=print">Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=bose-krishnamachari&iid=18&articleid=428">Article</a><br />
MeisterVarma : <a href="http://meistervarma.com/"> http://meistervarma.com/</a><br />
Trumpet by Meister : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trumpet-by-Meister/128095490603307">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trumpet-by-Meister/128095490603307</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.415308178548702.97194.128095490603307&type=3">Cosmic Matrimony Dartboard</a><br />
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KMB in the Press : <a href="http://www.artslant.com/ind/articles/show/33136">Art Slant</a><br />
<a href="http://www.arterritory.com/en/texts/reviews/1942-art_curry_in_india/">Art Territory</a><br />
<a href="http://www.artdubai.ae/blog/photo-tour-kochi-muziris-biennale/">Art Dubai </a><br />
<a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130113/jsp/graphiti/story_16433781.jsp#.USmVeh0zjcg">The Telegraph</a><br />
<a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/biennale-in-kochi/1/237768.html"> India Today</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20754902">BBC - slideshow</a><br />
<a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/kochi-muziris-biennale/featured/3">Times of India</a><br />
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Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-40810676701659619742013-02-05T20:47:00.001+05:302013-07-11T21:36:10.880+05:30Kochi-Muziris Biennale : the art of new beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyegqP2LHqvgHqzpVjRv5xXcGLDGUkhDF6amfKXsbEsxIRDLWFRpVKl-ioV-wRyzpkueoc0P4pcfeCYDe8r_CrAeLrCY4tB9UUmIJW2su_eRo9XCD6D2TfiSacyxk7sUcfJrAPAyLhcnc/s1600/IMG_6559+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyegqP2LHqvgHqzpVjRv5xXcGLDGUkhDF6amfKXsbEsxIRDLWFRpVKl-ioV-wRyzpkueoc0P4pcfeCYDe8r_CrAeLrCY4tB9UUmIJW2su_eRo9XCD6D2TfiSacyxk7sUcfJrAPAyLhcnc/s640/IMG_6559+copy+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I've always thought <st1:placetype w:st="on">Fort</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Cochin</st1:placename> (or <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Fort</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Kochi</st1:placename></st1:place> ) is like one of those story-book places; full-of old-world charm and slightly fantastical ... as if it's living in its own time-zone . Perhaps it's the towering, ancient Rain Trees all over the place, touching canopies and dripping with ferns, that does it.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Or the white-washed walls laden with crimson bougainvilleas and beautiful gardens sprouting old, tile-roofed bungalows within.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The antique shops and quaint cafes and ferry boats.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Or the musty old spice warehouses and unused yards smothered in vegetation.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The Dutch palaces with Kerala murals, Chinese fishing nets, Jewish synagogues, Jain temples, Portuguese churches, British clubs, Indian spices and history seeping through every brick and stone.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And the very picturesque water-front that wraps around it all, dotted with fishing boats and cargo ships and sea-birds.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Oh, the romance of it all ... !<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj-I8KLqKzTdzNrVFTwtRea0-PLrImlmYR7ZD3oHNNsf8eo5Zdr-NSfzlX7reU0Zvb7X5DatMG4mx-fv3bwjyOSTUHXO-XCgtRvHr_z3E5FUnVj8YHEYRMlQa3KDAdhALI5VUUZwjM6k/s1600/IMG_6475+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj-I8KLqKzTdzNrVFTwtRea0-PLrImlmYR7ZD3oHNNsf8eo5Zdr-NSfzlX7reU0Zvb7X5DatMG4mx-fv3bwjyOSTUHXO-XCgtRvHr_z3E5FUnVj8YHEYRMlQa3KDAdhALI5VUUZwjM6k/s640/IMG_6475+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5pt;">But now, it looks like I've to stretch my mind a bit more and include the art that is spilling out onto its streets too. And drawing more people than I've ever seen there before.</span></div>
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Now, I can almost picture Kochi's predecessor and alter-ego, <a href="http://historicalleys.blogspot.in/2010/06/introducing-muziris-papyrus.html"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Muziris</span></a> , as it must have been, way back in the first century A.D. ... bustling, thronging with people of all nationalities (at least, the trading ones), buzzing with an undeniable energy and conversations in myriad tongues. King Solomon's ships came looking for spices here. So did those of the Pharaohs, the ancient Greeks and the Romans as well as the Chinese! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, centuries after this port-town on the Malabar coast of Kerala in the southern tip of <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, fabled for its access to treasured spices, timber and gems, was flooded by the river Periyar and sank into anonymity, it finds a resurrection of sorts in <st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place>'s first Biennale. The <span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/">Kochi-MuzirisBiennale</a> </span> .<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1w-LNrXichVt7oF2wCMZ8dhe2sYBJICAU_H5kAxndvrExUwYYMjbPFfR9wBnUJ2XZWTuUYXy4aQRzQlMCsEC2Y8p2fNIvJmhZfavYm8690PBQRj0GeWMA920-8fqEUbcwji0m2gJnIE/s1600/IMG_6506+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1w-LNrXichVt7oF2wCMZ8dhe2sYBJICAU_H5kAxndvrExUwYYMjbPFfR9wBnUJ2XZWTuUYXy4aQRzQlMCsEC2Y8p2fNIvJmhZfavYm8690PBQRj0GeWMA920-8fqEUbcwji0m2gJnIE/s640/IMG_6506+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.5pt;">I couldn't resist the celebration of contemporary art by artists both local and international either. So, I flew to </span><st1:place style="line-height: 19.5pt;" w:st="on">Kochi</st1:place><span style="line-height: 19.5pt;"> and coaxed Mridula Jose, interior architect from CEPT, to show me around. ( She's also the </span><a href="http://www.swb.co.in/store/book/eclectic-juxtaposition" style="line-height: 19.5pt;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">author</span></a><span style="line-height: 19.5pt;"> of an architectural study and is the VP, Product Development of </span><a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth/about-us" style="line-height: 19.5pt;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">CGH Earth</span></a><span style="line-height: 19.5pt;"> whose </span><a href="http://www.cghearth.com/cgh-earth/art" style="line-height: 19.5pt;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">David Hall Gallery</span></a><span style="line-height: 19.5pt;"> is one of the venues of the Biennale. But the really big bonus for me was that her work in conservation and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings made her the perfect person to tell me about the venues as well as the art on display. That's what bloggers call good karma! ) </span></div>
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I went to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Fort</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Kochi</st1:placename></st1:place> prepared to have the <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/category/venues/"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">venues</span></a> to myself or, at the most, to share them with a few art-enthusiasts. Instead, I found them bustling with people from all walks of life: school-kids racing excitedly from one installation to the next,all sparkly-eyed and wide-smiled with enthusiasm, doddering old grandpas squinting at some of the artworks, young couples enjoying the cool breeze from the backwaters just as much as the art, clusters of housewives, tourists, a priest in flowing robes striding briskly in, and yes, a few bewildered, head-scratching individuals too who couldn't figure out just what to think of the contemporary art on display. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I clicked a camera-load of photos there and still regret that I couldn't take more of some of the venues. Unfortunately I don't have details of all of them (I thought I was being clever in clicking the write-ups too but didn't account for the fading light in the evening!). So if you can help me with details which I have missed out on, please let me know and I'll add it here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And now, I'll let the photos do most of the talking, okay? (This is a picture-heavy post; be warned!)<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.5pt;">The approach to Cabral Yard (across the road from Aspinwall) was a revelation of things to come. We drove down a leafy, rain-tree lined road to another and turned a corner to find art taking over the street! </span></div>
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I love street art and graffiti, so finding it here put me in just the right frame of mind. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">So refreshing to find art instead of political slogans on the walls here! No, actually the slogans were still there in the background, I think, but the art just grabbed everyone's eyeballs so we barely noticed anything else.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And inside the yard, after trampling through an exuberantly over-grown mud-path, were some very interesting installations, including this one by Sudarshan Shetty. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Really makes you think, doesn't it?<br />
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After buying tickets at Aspinwall, we went to Pepper House which has some of the most interesting art on display, including this rusty anchor with twisty chains by Alex Mathew. And the view of the waterfront beyond isn't half bad either!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">'Leave your shoes here' by Hossein Valamanesh is one of my favourites. I love the play of light and dark and silence to create a very powerful, almost spiritual effect.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And, as with all good art, these pictures just don't do it justice.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I loved it that almost everywhere, people were interested enough to actually read about the works that they were viewing. And I also loved it that the venues are old buildings most of which are not in use (which explains the wear and tear on some of them). I love the juxtaposition of the modern and the old! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Gert Jan Kocken's works seem to fit in so beautifully into this space. The theme, though, is a bit disquieting, especially since we're now seeing so much of this kind of defacement of art because of some individuals' personal interpretations of religion. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I love this installation! The long hall with aged-wood flooring and light streaming in through window after window, while outside the swaying green tree-tops and water-scape added to the luminous serenity of the scene. The sheer silence and lack of people in the hall was almost like a bonus that just added to the beauty of it all.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In fact, I liked it so much that I had to share one more view of it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">For some reason I didn't hear the 'saturated surround sound' mentioned in the text above. It was not on and I had no idea that I was expected to switch it on (so much for ideal scenarios). But I loved this anyway.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The next room was as different as it could be similar. Almost empty again, except for a family with young children curiously running up the ladders to take a look at what was just out of sight from below, 'The Attic' by Anita Dube was one of the most disturbing works for me personally.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I'm not very fond of heights but I bravely tottered up one of those rickety ladders because I just had to see what was up there!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">What had seemed to be a serene room below stairs took on dark overtones once those ladders were climbed and I poked my head through the hatch into the attic. The almost stifling atmosphere made me pause and the now-audible feminine sobs and odd ominous sounds (clink of anklets, the thump of what sounded like footsteps ... common-place sounds, yet which sounded almost predatory and ominous now) hinting at impending danger, made my hackles rise and I was as frozen as I was impelled to run away from there! I could seriously feel myself start to sweat now.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I wobbled my way down that ladder and I needed long moments away from there, at one of the windows looking down at the greenery around and people calmly sipping their cups of coffee before I felt my nerves settle again.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I wonder if I would've been as affected if we had not been still reeling from the shock of the</span><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/gang-rape-delhi-death-singapore-idINDEE8BS00920121229"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">brutality</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city> just a few days earlier. Most definitely, I think.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I wonder what those young kids thought of this installation...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinbJIbCZejoJhA-109D1V4KfzqzvalOqcs_ICh0GDrqQbKzzqtb2c0sH2RzH1JzA5OXThyZ1IeR9EicATv2Kbsgnm5nnx3xERc1BurHlx7XrRkpjOGQGmhv-4aVw4EBtBIuKaofjR3CQ/s1600/IMG_6508+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinbJIbCZejoJhA-109D1V4KfzqzvalOqcs_ICh0GDrqQbKzzqtb2c0sH2RzH1JzA5OXThyZ1IeR9EicATv2Kbsgnm5nnx3xERc1BurHlx7XrRkpjOGQGmhv-4aVw4EBtBIuKaofjR3CQ/s640/IMG_6508+copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">As I leave Pepper House, I look back through the wooden door. And read the inscription around the arch on the far wall. "All of past must be resurrected".</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">But remember what I said about Art spilling out on to the streets?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPSMKnGsfNfTMMlDTM07GwnYS_pDBz33FwywDcItAOztT0sl7bAYyjs_q21dQNJTveppaUGkCA7Xcu8zK5FWDf-q5jjPrEZZMv6XQsO9Cfy9dSmGn5UcWVe-TIwJP3SyhRtD1NaHD1KY/s1600/IMG_6592+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPSMKnGsfNfTMMlDTM07GwnYS_pDBz33FwywDcItAOztT0sl7bAYyjs_q21dQNJTveppaUGkCA7Xcu8zK5FWDf-q5jjPrEZZMv6XQsO9Cfy9dSmGn5UcWVe-TIwJP3SyhRtD1NaHD1KY/s640/IMG_6592+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I LOVE THIS! I told you I like graffiti, didn't I? But you already knew<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://chai-n-spice.blogspot.in/2009/11/great-wall-of-mumbai.html"><span style="background: white; color: black;">that</span></a><span style="background: white;">.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">What I love about this is the fact that this building is apparently not even one of the official venues of the KMB! Oh, the sheer deliciousness of it!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7j7Ep1H5WtIytO5kfHvfkkbtCFFNmvPH35ClcoUAOFIIN1940jKw9HleQdFNR_vggw5IrjtqL7byk7ZzTC2zAy95115rPu8dMFWjQ4MD2kX0ue2qLVRM3VAoSQqmt7icj7sBVgLhRhs/s1600/IMG_6597+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7j7Ep1H5WtIytO5kfHvfkkbtCFFNmvPH35ClcoUAOFIIN1940jKw9HleQdFNR_vggw5IrjtqL7byk7ZzTC2zAy95115rPu8dMFWjQ4MD2kX0ue2qLVRM3VAoSQqmt7icj7sBVgLhRhs/s640/IMG_6597+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And here's another look at it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNCWxRCnbjpL-SPNEWDRTfoo5938bJMEiF-P_yPUs-0O0D5Y0sDFK_jZNfLyj9Dqi8xNn1mi31OoxofuamhKwuMfnIaY-UZRx7QIct6CDx0aQF37AFi3J5liNb4VpgxHyNihuL3Eq1fA/s1600/IMG_6600+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNCWxRCnbjpL-SPNEWDRTfoo5938bJMEiF-P_yPUs-0O0D5Y0sDFK_jZNfLyj9Dqi8xNn1mi31OoxofuamhKwuMfnIaY-UZRx7QIct6CDx0aQF37AFi3J5liNb4VpgxHyNihuL3Eq1fA/s640/IMG_6600+copy+copy.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And it's so detailed. I love the vibrant colours, the graphics, the scale .... all of it! This was definitely one of the high points of the KMB for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">I found these names painted on the side of the building. I assume they're the artists. If so, then Aravind Raju, Biju R., Irshad Mavayil, Mohammed Riyas, Prashanth K.V., Shanto Antony and Sujeendran, take a bow. You guys are brilliant!<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma4FZY1bIVaqQEn_GckQ4r-ucQtpgAVh-RwZ9C0pCexhEbR0Ztv-egjdI9LoN0oeI5m6LvZGALAkxSyj4-SgqADF4uniW0CWisQnWJZWkfBbd_3rCsY4arYuycMF7pmnIyfR90j59mAw/s1600/IMG_6592+copy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma4FZY1bIVaqQEn_GckQ4r-ucQtpgAVh-RwZ9C0pCexhEbR0Ztv-egjdI9LoN0oeI5m6LvZGALAkxSyj4-SgqADF4uniW0CWisQnWJZWkfBbd_3rCsY4arYuycMF7pmnIyfR90j59mAw/s640/IMG_6592+copy3.jpg" width="850" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I found that I have far too many interesting pics of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kochi</st1:place></st1:city> - Muziris Biennale. I tried to short-list them to fit into 1 blog-post but it just couldn't be done. And that, in spite of the fact that I couldn't even visit all the venues and that towards the end of the day I just couldn't click any more pics because of the bad light!</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I don't want this to be so picture-heavy that it takes forever to load, so I'll take a break here. Come back soon to read Koch-Muziris Biennale, Part II which will be posted in a few days.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">One last bit of advice... go, book a ticket to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kochi</st1:place></st1:city>. Take a look and soak in the creative spirit of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Hurry! It's on only until 13th March, 2013.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">In the meantime, Chris Dercon, Director of Tate Modern, speaking about the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://youtu.be/42F46biebCE"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Importance of Public Investment in Art</span></a><span style="background: white;"> is a Must-Watch! And take a look at the links below before you go, okay?</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">(Just noticed ... KMB is using the same tag-line as Chai 'n Spice. What a coincidence! )</span><br />
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<i><span style="background: white;">Links</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">: </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Kochi-Muziris Biennale, official site :<a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/the-kochi-muziris-biennale/"> <span style="color: black;">http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/the-kochi-muziris-biennale/</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Muziris Heritage site :<a href="http://www.muzirisheritage.in/muziris-heritage.html"><span style="color: black;"> http://www.muzirisheritage.in/muziris-heritage.html#</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">CGH Earth :<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1723734460"> </a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.cghearth.com/">http://www.cghearth.com</a><a href="http://www.cghearth.com/">/</a></span> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0https://www.facebook.com/cghearth"> <span style="color: black;">https://www.facebook.com/cghearth</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">David Hall : <a href="http://www.cghearth.com/traveller/earthcalling&IssueId=9"><span style="color: black;">http://www.cghearth.com/traveller/earthcalling&IssueId=9</span></a> (see page 3)</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Hall-Art-Gallery-and-Cafe/149716475081416"><span style="color: black;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Hall-Art-Gallery-and-Cafe/149716475081416</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Sudarshan Shetty : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudarshan_Shetty"><span style="color: black;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudarshan_Shetty</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://www.verveonline.com/31/life/sudarshan/full.shtml"><span style="color: black;">http://www.verveonline.com/31/life/sudarshan/full.shtml</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-28/kochi/31876755_1_fort-kochi-kochi-biennale-mumbai-based-artist"><span style="color: black;">Times of India article</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Alex Mathew : <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/interview-with-alex-mathew"><span style="color: black;">http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/interview-with-alex-mathew</span></a>/ </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Hossein Valamanesh : <a href="http://www.mca.com.au/collection/artist/valamanesh-hossein/"><span style="color: black;">http://www.mca.com.au/collection/artist/valamanesh-hossein/ </span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://artreview.com.au/contents/1077183158-hossein-valamanesh-out-of-nothingness"><span style="color: black;">Out of Nothingness </span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://youtu.be/x4iA0owuqCE"><span style="color: black;">Video on YouTube</span></a> (<i>watch this!</i>)</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Gert Jan Kocken : <a href="http://www.gertjankocken.nl/"><span style="color: black;">http://www.gertjankocken.nl/</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.smba.nl/en/exhibitions/defacing/"><span style="color: black;"> http://www.smba.nl/en/exhibitions/defacing/</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Ibrahim Quraishi : <a href="http://ibrahimquraishi.org/"><span style="color: black;">http://ibrahimquraishi.org/ </span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://asiasociety.org/arts/performing-arts/theater/interview-ibrahim-quraishi"><span style="color: black;">http://asiasociety.org/arts/performing-arts/theater/interview-ibrahim-quraishi</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Anita Dube : <a href="http://www.khojworkshop.org/user/anita_dube"><span style="color: black;">http://www.khojworkshop.org/user/anita_dube </span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://www.kalpana.it/eng/arts/anita_dube/index.htm"><span style="color: black;">http://www.kalpana.it/eng/arts/anita_dube/index.htm </span></a></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">KMB in the Press : <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/an-interface-between-art-and-heritage/article4317718.ece"><span style="color: black;">An interface between Art and Heritage</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/in-kerala-a-distinctly-indian-art-fair-with-international-appeal/"><span style="color: black;">India Ink</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/afb53a98-4837-11e2-a1c0-00144feab49a.html#axzz2K27tq2nf"><span style="color: black;">Financial Times</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=2&sectid=edid=&edlabel=TOIKRKO&mydateHid=29-04-2012&pubname=Times+of+India+-+Kochi&edname=&articleid=Ar00200&publabel=TOI"><span style="color: black;">Times of Indi</span></a>a </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/arts/kochi-biennale-indias-first-begins-today/article4188485.ece?homepage=true"><span style="color: black;">The Hindu </span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kochi-muziris-biennale-fried-kerala-karimeen-ymca-kerala-kochi-kmb-portugal-fort-kochi/1/237076.html"><span style="color: black;">India Today</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"> <a href="http://artobserved.com/2012/12/kochi-kerala-india-the-first-annual-kochi-muziris-biennale-through-march-13th-2013/"><span style="color: black;"> Art Observed </span></a> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">(</span><i>I have to thank <a href="http://shtories-shtuff.blogspot.in/">Bharat Bhushan</a>, my wonderful friend, for helping me to replace this blog-post which my fidgety fingers had accidentally deleted while editing. Bharat, you're a genius!</i><span style="background-color: white;"> )</span></div>
Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-80611992727629877712011-11-07T19:50:00.001+05:302011-11-07T19:51:19.360+05:30Photo-happy in Mumbai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-BYewNU1EVmphNfVrbCVqj3xoiX-XLGE5u-yZ6Q2lSNYGHcDEHlyMNC4JnzTG69Rmnblm7AN8gzqfvioES7RCSfPnzIMUcizWaKrZbxOUt6Yg6xErDQfulHM5UbHs9_kQofZkwhRzeM/s1600/IMG_4748+a+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 635px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 391px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453662177243438082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-BYewNU1EVmphNfVrbCVqj3xoiX-XLGE5u-yZ6Q2lSNYGHcDEHlyMNC4JnzTG69Rmnblm7AN8gzqfvioES7RCSfPnzIMUcizWaKrZbxOUt6Yg6xErDQfulHM5UbHs9_kQofZkwhRzeM/s400/IMG_4748+a+copy.jpg" /></a>This bag-lady with upwardly mobile aspirations has my imagination whizzing on overdrive. Questions of the "I wonder ... " type keep bubling up in my mind every time I see this photo. I wonder why she chose that car to snooze on. And this was in quite a posh neighbourhood, armed to the teeth with security-men who delight in exercising their powers so I wonder why no one turned up to shoo her off.<br />Or maybe they recognised a kindred soul ... overworked, tired and just aching for a quick shut-eye.<br />But on that car ...? The way she's scrunched up, it doesn't even look very comfortable .<br /><br />The streets of Mumbai are such a perfect source for the most interesting stories! I've been tucking a camera into my bag almost every time I go out, to be whipped out whenever I see something interesting (much to the embarassment of my children). Which is just about every other minute. Most of those photos will never see the light of day because travelling at high speed on potholed roads almost always result in blurred photos.<br /><br />I wonder when I'll be stopped by some suspicious soul to be quizzed on why I'm photographing some structure or monument or whatever. Imagine trying to explain blogging to someone who isn't very familiar with computers in the first place!Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-19179240764524042042011-09-03T13:48:00.007+05:302011-09-03T20:36:07.944+05:30Write like a Booker winner?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu2kSuZ9qP8kHzDj01s1jmuZ99XogKmpJb0Q5Qz0Gkln_DLE0toEVRtPDGzV_wnBHfgOixJtfVoqfLLov0Y06cxm60ZcAFZwvF5oNs72y-Nb1LP5up0s7btWnejLnlbTDnCgXBIl0o9w/s1600/blind_assassin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648042002234505250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu2kSuZ9qP8kHzDj01s1jmuZ99XogKmpJb0Q5Qz0Gkln_DLE0toEVRtPDGzV_wnBHfgOixJtfVoqfLLov0Y06cxm60ZcAFZwvF5oNs72y-Nb1LP5up0s7btWnejLnlbTDnCgXBIl0o9w/s400/blind_assassin.jpg" /></a> I write like Margaret Atwood?
<br />Whoa! .... before anyone thinks I've got delusions of grandeur take a look at this.
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<br />There's this fun new analytical tool out there specially for all of us bloggers and writers who may have pangs of doubt about the quality of our writing. Go to <a href="http://iwl.me/">I Write Like </a>and Copy-Paste a sample of your writing. It could be an excerpt from your blog or your diary or a few lines of doggerel .... just make sure its not your shopping list (though some of us are pretty creative with that too). The site analyses it and draws comparisons to famous writers.
<br />So I copied out a few paras from one of my blog-posts and this the result I got. And since I'm the suspicious sort, I copied some paras from another blog-post ... and, same result. Time to celebrate?
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<br />Try it out, it's the greatest ego-boost ever.
<br />Fun? Definitely!
<br />Inspiring? When your writing is compared to that of a Booker winner (and winner/finalist/ nominee of just about every literary award there is) .... are you kidding me?!
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<br />I hope my publisher is reading this!
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<br /><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ddd 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ddd 2px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; WIDTH: 380px; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; FONT: 20px/1.2 Arial,sans-serif; BACKGROUND: #f7f7f7; COLOR: #555; OVERFLOW: auto; BORDER-TOP: #ddd 2px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ddd 2px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"><img style="FLOAT: right" src="http://s.iwl.me/w.png" width="120" />
<br /><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #eee 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 20px; PADDING-LEFT: 20px; PADDING-RIGHT: 20px; PADDING-TOP: 20px; text-shadow: #fff 0 1px">I write like
<br /><a style="COLOR: #698b22; FONT-SIZE: 30px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://iwl.me/w/31ac0f16">Margaret Atwood</a></div>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; COLOR: #888; FONT-SIZE: 11px"><em>I Write Like</em> by Mémoires, <a style="COLOR: #888" href="http://www.codingrobots.com/memoires/">journal software</a>. <a style="BACKGROUND: #ffffe0; COLOR: #333" href="http://iwl.me/"><b>Analyze your writing!</b></a></p></div>
<br /><em>(Absolutely no guarantees on the accuracy of the results but it's sure to make you feel good)</em>
<br />Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-41333070752951603762010-09-08T11:10:00.005+05:302010-09-08T14:12:53.167+05:30Perfectly delicious blogs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0BXg7JtNNYz-PCF_oRcRdW5LmW-k_RJ3Qu_2eLOeav5cv-LRWoS6IVPMDKN6P6D4WdkqnoEqun32JU_Ye8rVlr36YnbSUD0BIA9qItr2MfSMvTVqsdP-62KCvAbxwdFIYH7bDcr3bic/s1600/awesome+things+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 394px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 253px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514412542606014530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0BXg7JtNNYz-PCF_oRcRdW5LmW-k_RJ3Qu_2eLOeav5cv-LRWoS6IVPMDKN6P6D4WdkqnoEqun32JU_Ye8rVlr36YnbSUD0BIA9qItr2MfSMvTVqsdP-62KCvAbxwdFIYH7bDcr3bic/s400/awesome+things+copy.jpg" /></a>Guess what I'm smiling about today? I found this perfectly delicious blog. Take a deep breath, sink back into a cushion and look at <a href="http://1000awesomethings.com/">1000 Awesome Things </a>!<br /><br />I particularly like <a href="http://1000awesomethings.com/2010/08/27/430-eating-ridiculous-things-for-breakfast/">#430 </a>"Eating perfectly ridiculous things for breakfast" . Oh yeah! this is a blog after my own heart! <em>mmmmhmm</em>!<br />Now here's a very uncomfortable secret... I was almost named Sabrina by my father who was fresh from an 8-year stint in Edinburough! Now I have nothing against that name and I'm sure it sounds lovely on many girls, but it just isn't Me, if you know what I mean. I absolutely glory in my Indian-ness (though I like to think of myself as a citizen of the world!) and can't imagine not having an Indian name. So I identified oh so well with Awesome Thing <a href="http://1000awesomethings.com/2010/08/17/438-your-almost-name/">#438 </a>"Your Almost Name"!<br />So which Awesome Thing did you like best? It's perfectly okay (in fact, it's expected) to have more than one favourite.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2atNa1fWuGtOXk4qDRRkqvpk1fVESkgOEWTb4uiE_HBP0uMcIlUbDYulZbVMVUw3baOiQKmAYulpL0_vb09ilJi-NH8M-eNSr66nOtdXMoCnkVXixBCrvo6zeB882hpUC9ZIVYKTJqY/s1600/brokensecrets+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514412552249571970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2atNa1fWuGtOXk4qDRRkqvpk1fVESkgOEWTb4uiE_HBP0uMcIlUbDYulZbVMVUw3baOiQKmAYulpL0_vb09ilJi-NH8M-eNSr66nOtdXMoCnkVXixBCrvo6zeB882hpUC9ZIVYKTJqY/s400/brokensecrets+copy.jpg" /></a> And here's another blog which I just discovered. I think <a href="http://brokensecrets.com/">Broken Secrets </a>is awesome! Professing to reveal the deepest, best-kept secrets on earth, each post is a revelation.<br /><br />Where else can you find out how to get the most out of your printer ink cartridge just by twiddling around around with its memory?<br />Or that there is actually a prescribed etiquette for hot dogs ?<br />Or ... and this one I really needed to know ... how to increase mobile phone battery life when you're far from a charger?<br />But the one I loved the most was finding out a new keyboard shortcut. I spend hours surfing the Net and after some time I prefer to lean back on the cushions on my chair. Which is not the most comfortable way to surf as any Net addict can tell you. But here's the gem ... all you have to do is hit the Space Bar to scroll your browser down one page.<br />Old hat? Aaah, but I didn't know that. And I'm quite sure that there are at least a few of us surfers out there who didn't either.<br /><br />Now here's the super-duper frosting on top and why I love the internet so much... I was tying myself into knots over how I could get a screenshot of the sites I mentioned above. I searched for instructions and found a whole lot of freeware and applications to download and since I'm a bit wary of downloading such stuff, I continued looking. Then, up popped Microsoft with the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/screenshot.mspx">answer</a> !<br /><br />I'm feeling so extremely pleased with myself today. Truly AWESOME!<br /><br /></p>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-5329974977733982932010-04-21T09:05:00.000+05:302010-04-21T09:06:13.245+05:30Sign of the times<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-TVScnOvCeMyLqK9FlpLq-sgFczYID7jQxICM5t1CbEBdOZ3RkHMH6YCGb32knHfFmc-xu8IrhjOaykb9Ssg2CE36Smeqg2DsdgECS-Vu7T8Twgs1S6uT-6EhXjdKHX0Z4xv4NNPrIU/s1600/IMG_3983+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 700px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 500px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462423314531790754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-TVScnOvCeMyLqK9FlpLq-sgFczYID7jQxICM5t1CbEBdOZ3RkHMH6YCGb32knHfFmc-xu8IrhjOaykb9Ssg2CE36Smeqg2DsdgECS-Vu7T8Twgs1S6uT-6EhXjdKHX0Z4xv4NNPrIU/s400/IMG_3983+copy.jpg" /></a> The first sign that Summer is dancing a most violent <em>tandav</em> on Mumbai !<br />Every footpath sprouts mountainous heaps of watermelons promising cool relief from the ever-increasing heat.<br />But I love the movie poster providing the perfect background ... classic advertising!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHT0NthJIowmmEhsKS7D-KtFbgdhGaZEFDDro0D5plpL94ruS74C50AflhxTHCIHQPXoS6UszLg9AHY6jOw-_Kh7SfwEzaGD0z4HvUcVJDcYLHNnEnq7KxRLiC843YIlKxa6O4iApUSc/s1600/IMG_3982+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 700px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 500px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462423330115301826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHT0NthJIowmmEhsKS7D-KtFbgdhGaZEFDDro0D5plpL94ruS74C50AflhxTHCIHQPXoS6UszLg9AHY6jOw-_Kh7SfwEzaGD0z4HvUcVJDcYLHNnEnq7KxRLiC843YIlKxa6O4iApUSc/s400/IMG_3982+copy.jpg" /></a>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-76916033772978550912010-03-30T16:00:00.007+05:302011-09-04T19:41:16.461+05:30Mothers' anthemHmmmm. .... now where have I heard <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJ1Sc34kcM">this</a> before? Take a look and listen close, maybe you can tell me why it sounds so familiar?
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<br />Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-24434734380229141882010-03-29T15:25:00.001+05:302010-03-29T15:26:16.240+05:30In a Moonshadow moodI'm in a Cat Stevens mood right now. Okay, call him Yusuf Islam if you want but his music is still the same.<br />Soulful, soothing, beautiful and sheer poetry! <br />Bitter-sweet at times with a tinge of pain, but his songs all reach in and tug at the right heart-strings. Songs from decades ago, but I love the sound and the poetry of the lyrics!<br /><br />The pure, fresh sounds of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/U5sSEkZ86ts?hl=en_US&fs=1">'Morning has broken' </a>makes me tingle right down to my toe-tips.<br /><br />And I love the quirky logic of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/kGNxKnLmOH4?hl=en_US&fs=1">Moonshadow</a> and the very mind-picture of someone "leaping and hopping on a Moonshadow" . I love the optimism ringing through the lyrics.<br /><br />I found this very Dr. Seuss-y video of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/XjdVOfnYkyA?hl=en_US&fs=1">'Where do the children p</a>lay?' on YouTube but the childrens-book treatment doesn't take away the sensitivity of the song. It just adds to it.<br /><br />I spent a good hour or 2 browsing through YouTube, listening to 'Peace Train', 'Wind', 'Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong' and more. (Thank you, YouTube!)<br />But right through my YouTube searches for Cat Stevens' music today, I was disturbed to find a lot of slash-and-burn comments on his videos, based not on his music but on his choice of religion.<br />Whaaat?!<br />It's such a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/0k6mQyu2GxM?hl=en_US&fs=1">wild world</a>!Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-992193692893343812010-03-19T15:24:00.001+05:302010-03-19T15:25:56.926+05:30Must go! Must have!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGNksQuXsJlw4adH4vE0KCuAqox4efMXvJQEY_UmIMN31pwASaMjDKgOJe1iIshclw_eILNY4r1DaStVktZNIZsJPNi4tXiQ2Pso5wlSV37g6ztj9jkhUgrdrqg5kdu2NYF1dH0iES5w/s1600-h/raw+mango.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 506px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 395px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449946385558304338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGNksQuXsJlw4adH4vE0KCuAqox4efMXvJQEY_UmIMN31pwASaMjDKgOJe1iIshclw_eILNY4r1DaStVktZNIZsJPNi4tXiQ2Pso5wlSV37g6ztj9jkhUgrdrqg5kdu2NYF1dH0iES5w/s400/raw+mango.jpg" /></a> Time to break those piggy banks and dig out the emergency cash, ladies! There's a lot happening in Mumbai these days.<br /><br />First, there's Sanjay Garg's delectable, super-delicious collection of sarees, stoles and dupattas starring at Good Earth (March 15 - 24, '10).<br />I took one look at that fabric in the photo and fell in love! Just look at it ... light as a whisper, cool as a monsoon breeze, watermelon-fresh ... doesn't it make you yearn to slide it over your shoulder?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrq-e6zGujKQBu9l071s1QzxIHOySOH8WacQzAWU9zosL5THL1rC1_4X8FxoMmHd6tD78_AC3qSdt0FJXIJymC1XDGgF_bsNdxUXsqmE-5vslcfgxaYmmI0w8DOSWsQQsLTD-EzLgChU/s1600-h/bliss.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 579px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 512px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449944970893014082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrq-e6zGujKQBu9l071s1QzxIHOySOH8WacQzAWU9zosL5THL1rC1_4X8FxoMmHd6tD78_AC3qSdt0FJXIJymC1XDGgF_bsNdxUXsqmE-5vslcfgxaYmmI0w8DOSWsQQsLTD-EzLgChU/s400/bliss.jpg" /></a>And, don't miss the BLISS flea market coming up next weekend (March 27 - 28, '10). If the regular stuff at BLISS is anything to go by, the bric à brac here has to be the most enticing ever!<br />And I'm intrigued by the organic products mentioned. I'm always on the lookout for those.<br />Oh! And did you notice that they have wine tasting planned too? Now what're the odds that the guys are not going to reach there before you?Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-17116363926050613942010-03-09T14:16:00.003+05:302010-03-09T14:19:38.057+05:30Heaven while you wait<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhw3baFa11wNtZ05rgbawSCb_9PAnQFBWQRvuaPlhYNQBYmiPhO28nsAeALWog8tjaslCSueGRBpb1-5iHNGahEWbiIatewUoWYiovXPWAecPs36qumPm1XTyweiPfCPJXxG5uR-w4hg/s1600-h/IMG_2844+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 579px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 415px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446533526400594466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhw3baFa11wNtZ05rgbawSCb_9PAnQFBWQRvuaPlhYNQBYmiPhO28nsAeALWog8tjaslCSueGRBpb1-5iHNGahEWbiIatewUoWYiovXPWAecPs36qumPm1XTyweiPfCPJXxG5uR-w4hg/s400/IMG_2844+copy.jpg" /></a>The street hawker of Mumbai is an absolute genius at getting you anything you want. So how about a slice of heaven? No problem, you don't even have to get out of your car .<br />If you've driven down the roads of Mumbai, chock-a-block with cheek-to-cheek traffic at peaktime, you'll know how it can be the stuff of nightmares.<br />Pesky autos cutting lanes, suicidal jaywalkers , irritable drivers, back-breaking roads that follow no known level, all-enveloping dust .... do I really need to go on?<br />Each signal inches you closer to your destination and to your hypertension pills.<br />And then just as you drum your fingers waiting for the signal to change colour, they magically appear ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRn1CI6F7La2aaFvG3MJi4kXxo7sEn03A8tzEHeN_kTQ_5Rth7x4_knHz9oJn_KBEj7r_D22jngTJbsODBdPsomBZpEP6JZsNq90ygXPhW276xNmxqZM8rC8UOrvWC90khTDI9gF_B_I/s1600-h/IMG_2843+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 365px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 460px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446532478881505938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRn1CI6F7La2aaFvG3MJi4kXxo7sEn03A8tzEHeN_kTQ_5Rth7x4_knHz9oJn_KBEj7r_D22jngTJbsODBdPsomBZpEP6JZsNq90ygXPhW276xNmxqZM8rC8UOrvWC90khTDI9gF_B_I/s400/IMG_2843+copy.jpg" /></a> ... the street florists of Mumbai!<br />Cradling armsful of mood-lifters to brighten the glummest soul, they weave through narrow gaps in the waiting traffic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow0HwO5zvcy85yzpJH4yNwkpsRJNahyphenhyphenKCzlGxPYtLpCQw__GvQQO81Xh7qR2d4NPx80OqdYlPbbISp8l1cWiwZOj2xpsWKkExtXzvaBfGm3MdV5n-R9BAaFvuhufGymyz1ykvEZwFANo/s1600-h/IMG_2531+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 484px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 349px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446536603741016114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow0HwO5zvcy85yzpJH4yNwkpsRJNahyphenhyphenKCzlGxPYtLpCQw__GvQQO81Xh7qR2d4NPx80OqdYlPbbISp8l1cWiwZOj2xpsWKkExtXzvaBfGm3MdV5n-R9BAaFvuhufGymyz1ykvEZwFANo/s400/IMG_2531+copy.jpg" /></a> A flourish of the hands and they offer up bunches of sheer happiness.<br />Take a deep breath .<br />Drink in the beauty of soft petals and eye-widening colours that paint brilliant mind-pictures of unseen verdant gardens spilling over with colourful blooms that make you sigh with contentment ... paradise on the go.<br />Heaven while you wait.<br /><br />I think these guys deserve an award for making the world a brighter place for so many commuters, don't you?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UvCHAdQvfWyiDQQRcU6hqTGNAbxnggEF6dd9AMDEbzIRZwAn8DD4xrmVYpYmvo1HeJVhAgY88ORADLM7EpOAOv1gVWWMRrGkQdE7fehGBS4v28mZtnD6EiQKxW02OsJIz9zlJhg6JjY/s1600-h/IMG_2532+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 532px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 346px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446536591494638018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UvCHAdQvfWyiDQQRcU6hqTGNAbxnggEF6dd9AMDEbzIRZwAn8DD4xrmVYpYmvo1HeJVhAgY88ORADLM7EpOAOv1gVWWMRrGkQdE7fehGBS4v28mZtnD6EiQKxW02OsJIz9zlJhg6JjY/s400/IMG_2532+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><p></p>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-45423174542621563922010-02-23T16:35:00.003+05:302010-02-23T16:44:09.432+05:30Tiger WordsWith all the media frenzy over Tiger and all the pretties he had hiding in the woods, one of the most zany off-spins seems to be the new phrases it has putted on to the urban greens.<br />I just came across one of them : tiger's wife mad.<br />Which according to the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/">Urban Dictionary </a>means "the act of being so mad at someone that you find the item they cherish the most and beat them with it" .<br />Errrrmm .... so that's new?<br /><br />So I can think of more ...<br />Tiger-burn : burn your advertising fingers on a seemingly great iconic brand ambassador who turns out to be a big embarassment.<br />I think Accenture knows what I'm talking about.<br /><br />And how about 'tigorry'? That is, a very elaborate and public, apparently soul-baring, self-flagellating apology.<br />Who cares whether it is heart-felt? it's great PR. And, will possibly save more golf-clubs from being shaped around a car. And may ... just may... bring back some of those tiger-burnt dollars?<br /><br />Quite frankly, I think the whole thing is a bit 'over-roared' (that's another one!). Way too much global attention and acres of newsprint have been devoted to something which has been going on probably since the time marriage was invented.<br />I mean, the man became a celebrity because he plays golf so devastatingly well. Not because of his squeaky-clean morals.<br />True, the man made a mess of his personal life. But, how about letting it remain personal?<br />Can we mute the roar now please?Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-36643001064195331432009-11-16T16:28:00.001+05:302009-11-16T16:29:54.491+05:30The Great Wall of Mumbai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw0VIaCVgN3qNorkV9BW4-28MEW0LixCrZi2lLBHhb3vIIpbwcjVqdmIgPab4cNr3R6eiiw9pYABaPk1thqbd900VWT83-NnPSWBEIRBMeAF-s4jR4HsV7m6Hh5cY4KLuUrdCZC_M0HY/s1600-h/IMG_0680+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 546px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 371px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404338146168000082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw0VIaCVgN3qNorkV9BW4-28MEW0LixCrZi2lLBHhb3vIIpbwcjVqdmIgPab4cNr3R6eiiw9pYABaPk1thqbd900VWT83-NnPSWBEIRBMeAF-s4jR4HsV7m6Hh5cY4KLuUrdCZC_M0HY/s400/IMG_0680+copy.jpg" /></a> Yesterday was incredible!<br />Yesterday I drove by the Tulsi Pipe Road from Mahim to Lower Parel and was blown away by the graffiti art on what has now been dubbed the Great Wall of Mumbai. It has totally transformed the dirty, drab wall along the Western Railway line until it is one of the most interesting, vibrantly colourful pieces of public property I've seen in a very long time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wfpmDE6pRDCboNE3s-qltg0QCV5UDQR1BZmWgzC7PyQkErVFo032gyGE0FXWGGOUy0b45vOebVZiIa9xBGtYT3tmUVi8MtN81Ytx6jSLWC5h_qqJ1EtVHXD5Fuk2Ao8WR5vbIXF_KmU/s1600-h/IMG_0661+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 526px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 386px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404332943781379410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wfpmDE6pRDCboNE3s-qltg0QCV5UDQR1BZmWgzC7PyQkErVFo032gyGE0FXWGGOUy0b45vOebVZiIa9xBGtYT3tmUVi8MtN81Ytx6jSLWC5h_qqJ1EtVHXD5Fuk2Ao8WR5vbIXF_KmU/s400/IMG_0661+copy.jpg" /></a> Can you believe this is in Mumbai?<br />Okay, with a stretch of your imagination maybe you can. And you can see the all-too familiar lines and geegaws that go with the railway tracks just on the other side of the wall.<br />But can you believe that this wildly, impossibly colourful stretch was actually sanctioned by the BMC, the tradition-bound, red-tape-shackled corporation that runs Mumbai city?<br />I love it!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thewallproject.com/">The Wall Project </a>is the initiative of a group of very talented and super-creative artists who go around transforming dull, boring walls into superb works of art . When the BMC offered this kilometres-long stretch of wall as a canvas, there was a flurry of activity, both online and on-site. Messages were posted, the grapevine buzzed and on the appointed days (first in August and again in October this year) all interested artists and assistants let their creative juices flow.<br />And what was once the receptacle of <em>paan</em>-juices and a surface for crudely printed handbills, is now the showcase of the creativity of the city's artistically inclined .<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJRShkKlbzlLSVRAVR4kaQvVZRd2hYsDiY3r2eB9QY3OTfiiVq6XHk5eNC0Pc5Dh1EMqL1LMzm6EXJKH0XsE9272YpNyRpRx9l2g26GDmUy5pmXmjJ9vfnN9GycGTkL-FQv2iqdEkpjc/s1600-h/IMG_0666+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 532px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 391px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404332952411986210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJRShkKlbzlLSVRAVR4kaQvVZRd2hYsDiY3r2eB9QY3OTfiiVq6XHk5eNC0Pc5Dh1EMqL1LMzm6EXJKH0XsE9272YpNyRpRx9l2g26GDmUy5pmXmjJ9vfnN9GycGTkL-FQv2iqdEkpjc/s400/IMG_0666+copy.jpg" /></a> What fun! I wish I could've been there. Maybe if there is another call going out for artists ... And I'm sure there will be, there're plenty of unpainted sections left in that wall still.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAFpJd9AEszi3BKPRMwUvG0BpdrWsxqTNiQnFzyuS-kdTp1xPJKjWmJNLSlp1HMfL5y_XsHrxGd2PTLqTW4bLDOYYZKzTUTuZeIT7wRzU3JCOQQo9LkmBfC9bUlMinQbs9cJEBaqkBo4/s1600-h/IMG_0650+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 506px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 372px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404332931411051826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAFpJd9AEszi3BKPRMwUvG0BpdrWsxqTNiQnFzyuS-kdTp1xPJKjWmJNLSlp1HMfL5y_XsHrxGd2PTLqTW4bLDOYYZKzTUTuZeIT7wRzU3JCOQQo9LkmBfC9bUlMinQbs9cJEBaqkBo4/s400/IMG_0650+copy.jpg" /></a> There are still portions of the wall , especially near Mahim, where it provides shelter to pavement-dwellers. I saw this family busy preparing their dinner and couldn't help thinking that they're living in the shadow of some artist's concern and love for this city.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcPnpKfaSQzOcyChq61zG3uRS3kkM1kQge-6m4mXhbARPIv16ndgnvZejqtRxfFXG1QDrz191ZL6Q8JpmeRMygNWAUPOdRAUNBbT6ppwPx4mT8Xk-ob38ZoYHm5orlPSkHJUUiMP2Ono/s1600-h/IMG_0651+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 456px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 342px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404338157774142130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcPnpKfaSQzOcyChq61zG3uRS3kkM1kQge-6m4mXhbARPIv16ndgnvZejqtRxfFXG1QDrz191ZL6Q8JpmeRMygNWAUPOdRAUNBbT6ppwPx4mT8Xk-ob38ZoYHm5orlPSkHJUUiMP2Ono/s400/IMG_0651+copy.jpg" /></a> This little boy was sitting near the women and as soon as he saw that we had stopped to click photos, he ran up with the widest smile on his face. He was thrilled to see that I had clicked his photo and immediately asked me to click one of his family too.<br />Do you see his dinner cooking in the background?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y56iZhFD_GGb7LeYemmoF1d0HzqJcq2eStSYpp7HI3XSWeytiMz5n-EGKbjbgaN8sTyYQ8g25tIGcbu8uua3z73GzTRkbiahpEMISTY2et3sxj6oCMJ4GW2Eeu3iNTtjXz5I036ke7I/s1600-h/IMG_0655+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 491px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 356px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404332937141975186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y56iZhFD_GGb7LeYemmoF1d0HzqJcq2eStSYpp7HI3XSWeytiMz5n-EGKbjbgaN8sTyYQ8g25tIGcbu8uua3z73GzTRkbiahpEMISTY2et3sxj6oCMJ4GW2Eeu3iNTtjXz5I036ke7I/s400/IMG_0655+copy.jpg" /></a> Further down the road, Michael Jackson was one of the recurring themes on the wall. I think a lot of fans poured out their grief in paint here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0N6iXchtQqSQ2TDM177NbjzsI_caNnUk2UP28XfsJkyL1cH2olH8I_bwEgwbOvQ2WVWMP844YMfD9spSIzw6Ne2xxhUvB8s0iHam5ztnIMOAeOVdJZQ_TGyKtwPJKsCaZTHxi4CR8eA/s1600-h/IMG_0669+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 530px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 373px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404349716981713394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0N6iXchtQqSQ2TDM177NbjzsI_caNnUk2UP28XfsJkyL1cH2olH8I_bwEgwbOvQ2WVWMP844YMfD9spSIzw6Ne2xxhUvB8s0iHam5ztnIMOAeOVdJZQ_TGyKtwPJKsCaZTHxi4CR8eA/s400/IMG_0669+copy.jpg" /></a>As if Mumbai could ever do without its film stars! They were all here, larger than life . And there were so many more that I enjoyed.<br />Some I couldn't get a good shot of because it was too dark, and long stretches were blocked by the vehicles parked in front of them. Even more were a blur because I had a lot of cars impatiently honking from behind and telling me to "move, or else...!".<br />But, take a look at some of the others that I did get...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qWwhAnGpohXDMnQ4gdIi1bH9NPUswYgEXhp8ZpYYyIfGpXRdd-hsD38JaFtDc8Z5wozot2Ovi9FxqVqj_c6mJM9iufFXky1Xa39Fq4Yi9clLfeIFCSyZ3cAwZ-3ieUwELR2Efz-mKik/s1600-h/IMG_0664+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 459px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 294px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404350653826245986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qWwhAnGpohXDMnQ4gdIi1bH9NPUswYgEXhp8ZpYYyIfGpXRdd-hsD38JaFtDc8Z5wozot2Ovi9FxqVqj_c6mJM9iufFXky1Xa39Fq4Yi9clLfeIFCSyZ3cAwZ-3ieUwELR2Efz-mKik/s400/IMG_0664+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMdXDiyBMw4vsAf66ckSya9lXs8_VkUlT-mDRwNm_pGUiAV-8Equg0bXO2popZawbb0sBgCt_bB3iYlBHGgiyt0ipQAFbnsqPtGPbkSMgKfTDhbZmUWqykQcrvS-sXQUyVPmwIHmhw9k/s1600-h/IMG_0676+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 466px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 295px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404350009868548258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMdXDiyBMw4vsAf66ckSya9lXs8_VkUlT-mDRwNm_pGUiAV-8Equg0bXO2popZawbb0sBgCt_bB3iYlBHGgiyt0ipQAFbnsqPtGPbkSMgKfTDhbZmUWqykQcrvS-sXQUyVPmwIHmhw9k/s400/IMG_0676+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDS-4RfpalxMwexdBuUFMv3dLiSTHS5prAi0j7DKwbnlhTgtx25sSx8wUmFHODMnq5BqIBMvdB-aMcCvpaSNpGnQNT5JTXY80WA_8K27vSvbxZ3fgGthjmZPpCAGrUThn9PbqNAPS5VOI/s1600-h/IMG_0689+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 477px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 358px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404355359640846594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDS-4RfpalxMwexdBuUFMv3dLiSTHS5prAi0j7DKwbnlhTgtx25sSx8wUmFHODMnq5BqIBMvdB-aMcCvpaSNpGnQNT5JTXY80WA_8K27vSvbxZ3fgGthjmZPpCAGrUThn9PbqNAPS5VOI/s400/IMG_0689+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUEvhv1pwPdsqKA0HZa8AKWo3zDVc20j1N-8EuqVi944_l1M5sY_oQubM1F9h_cLWDLCny_9HquofNXgAjAvNOA9acneasfJRGQ7MExvDf1oxioZvq-C3SoAf9sATxefgkTBZIBV9HC8/s1600-h/IMG_0684+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 507px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 331px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404355354569649266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUEvhv1pwPdsqKA0HZa8AKWo3zDVc20j1N-8EuqVi944_l1M5sY_oQubM1F9h_cLWDLCny_9HquofNXgAjAvNOA9acneasfJRGQ7MExvDf1oxioZvq-C3SoAf9sATxefgkTBZIBV9HC8/s400/IMG_0684+copy.jpg" /></a> But the one that said it all had to be this one!<br /></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu_bziV_bYRzv5Ql09E7xUU_x1oP9e5fQ9fz1FqTcvmv68Y59XR0GWk_QmTQdMdUdw554YTPplEUa8rSeLeyYNPjOyPWJ_Y0cG6Ol4IdlEe_PFjcrDr3jORZ3r1yj31fN3knQnPZkoxQ/s1600-h/IMG_0691+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 537px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 404px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404355369057996290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu_bziV_bYRzv5Ql09E7xUU_x1oP9e5fQ9fz1FqTcvmv68Y59XR0GWk_QmTQdMdUdw554YTPplEUa8rSeLeyYNPjOyPWJ_Y0cG6Ol4IdlEe_PFjcrDr3jORZ3r1yj31fN3knQnPZkoxQ/s400/IMG_0691+copy.jpg" /></a>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-54645823243940306732009-10-04T03:01:00.013+05:302009-11-04T19:59:59.065+05:30A petty issueHave you noticed how you're getting short-changed at the shops nowadays?<br />Every time I go to a provision store or a supermarket, I'm handed a bill which totals up to an amount that has been rounded off... almost always to the next highest 50 paisa denomination.<br />I get bills for <em>xy</em> Rupees twenty-eight paise or sixty-nine paise. I mean , come on! Is a proper change for such amounts even existent in our currency? Have you even seen a 1 paise or 2 paise coin in use nowadays ?<br />Apparently the 5, 10 and 25-pase coins are still legal tender. Officially, at least, but I've yet to see anyone who carries those coins. Or even someone who'll accept them.<br />Incidentally, I've even had stores offering me toffees in lieu of small change! Hmmm ... I wonder whether they would accept them in lieu of payment?<br /><br />One cashier was almost apologetic and vaguely embarassed about it. "It's all because of the VAT amounts," she said. "It usually adds up to odd figures and we don't have the small change for them. No one has! "<br />So the amounts are conveniently rolled over into the next biggest 50-paise denomination and no one's the wiser. Or bothers to speak up even if they notice it. It's such a measly little amount, after all. Hardly worth talking about.<br /><br />Well, that may be petty change for one shopper, but hey, do the maths.... that's a nice bit of extra profit for a store which sees hundreds, if not thousands, of shoppers every day!<br />No, wait ... actually, it does add up to<em> </em>quite a significant amount even for the individual shopper who is spending more than necessary every single day, albeit at the rate of a few paise each time. It may not exactly pinch or throw the budget off-kilter, but what it does is make me feel slightly cheated and a little indignant about it.<br /><br />Hmmm ... so who does get the balance, I wonder. If it's the store, that's money collected unfairly, isn't it? If it's the Revenue department, then they're collecting more tax than they're entitled to.<br />For my part, I'd say "you're welcome to it " if they could just prove they've put that money to some good use rather than to line their pockets.<br />Employment opportunities for the underprivileged, or maybe better education in the rural areas, and what about better medical facilities in tribal areas , and ... oh, the potential "good uses " are too many to count, aren't they?<br />Imagine! if our small change could create a big change...Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-35197073497361692742009-10-01T09:17:00.005+05:302009-10-09T21:45:16.926+05:30The finer details<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZl2C9CouRoeCqyxQVwf3I46mEtU9yhYiSDbCGNsWbBseX0meQHLa7HIhBOhrX_fwxqP716zsbG6Nr8V9lHo1G-D0uPDAIwnpzq5cF4IvxtZWpzhnypzOXZMJUrEJRAwYgabk7J5gTsw/s1600-h/IMG_7802+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387471352770492066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZl2C9CouRoeCqyxQVwf3I46mEtU9yhYiSDbCGNsWbBseX0meQHLa7HIhBOhrX_fwxqP716zsbG6Nr8V9lHo1G-D0uPDAIwnpzq5cF4IvxtZWpzhnypzOXZMJUrEJRAwYgabk7J5gTsw/s400/IMG_7802+copy.jpg" /></a><br />I have to tell you at the very outset that I share my home with 2 cricket-obsessed males. But I suppose you would've guessed anyway by the dirty heap of cricket whites that can be found heaped in various spots of the house at any given time. And the long line of cricket bats, balls, helmets, gloves , etc., etc. that mark the way from the verandah to the bedrooms. Beautiful urns lovingly placed in various corners of the house become "ideal to store cricket stumps and bats". You get the picture, right?<br /><br />The first, my husband, is one of those whose every second sentence is about cricket (the sport, not the animal!). His greatest satisfaction is not what he achieved in his academics or career, but that he learnt cricket on his own ("using the stump of a coconut-leaf as a bat"), set up a cricket team in his school and managed to play well enough to get his name and face and team in the papers more than once .<br /><br />He later went on to climb the ladder of cricket-obsession by leaps and bounds. One of his more crazy cricket-ruled moves was to take admission in a college in a sleepy little town just because there was a better chance of being selected for the state team from there. He lasted just one month before the sleepiness became too much for him and he ran back to Bombay, but that's another story.<br />He went on to play for his college and then for his company where he immediately chose to work the dreaded night-shift so that it would give him time to play cricket in the daytime!<br /><br />Post-marriage, my greatest challenge was coming to terms with his obsession with cricket. Heck! It was worse than having another woman in the equation. I could've fought that but how could I fight a sport on a TV set or the brotherhood of a group of grimy, sweaty men ?<br />There were days when at the end of one match, another would be starting somewhere else in the world, and then another. And my man religiously watched all of them. From the pitch report to the awards ceremony .<br />His work took second place to it too. If there was a match due to start, all appointments were cancelled.<br />"Sorry, I'm not feeling well today."<br />Yeah, he had cricket-fever!<br /><br />Then, came our son. My husband was so excited about the next potential cricketer in the house that he prepared a professional cricket-pitch in our grounds as soon as he knew that I was pregnant. Everyone, including me, thought he was nuts. He was taking up the most fertile piece of land in our property but did he care? Naaah! He wanted to grow a cricketer.<br />He went to some of the cricket stadiums to check on what grass they use. Then he bought a huge roller (which needs 3 men to even move it) to roll and level the pitch. And he waited.<br /><br />As per tradition, I went to my mother's home for the delivery and my husband followed me there. Not to spend time with me but to join a cricket club there. The day after our son was born, the proud new father was very busy... playing cricket in matches all aound the district!<br /><br />The day our son turned 4, the coaching started. My husband would bowl and our tiny little cricketer would bravely try to hit the ball. Every connected ball was crowed over like it was the World Cup's decisive knock. And every so often the 'coach' would feel our son's biceps to see if it was developing yet. He needs strong arms to hit the ball well, you see.<br /><br />More than once we had rip-roaring fights in the house because my husband was using a leather ball to bowl to him (if you're new to the sport, the leather cricket ball is what is used by professionals to play. It's the size of a fist and as hard as a rock).<br />"You'll give him brain-damage", I cried.<br />"I'm toughening him up," he roared back.<br />"At least use a rubber ball," I pleaded.<br />"That'll ruin his game !"<br /><br />To give him credit, our son was equally mad about cricket. Any attempt to stop the coaching till he was older was met with fierce rebellion from the pint-sized cricketer-in-the-making. He hungered to master the sport.<br />Every match was avidly watched on TV by father and son. Every ball, every stroke, was dissected and analysed by them. They groaned over every wrong move made by the players and celebrated every major win as if they had played in the match themselves.<br />The stance, the angle of the throw, the placement of the foot, the crook of the elbow ... surely there was more going on here than a mere sport.<br />Googlies and maiden-overs were tossed around the dining table with relish.<br />They played all day long outside. Then when it got too dark, they moved indoors and played inside the house.<br />"Just a few strokes, nothing more".<br />It took him several broken pots and urns to decide that he was not made for indoor cricket ... it was way too sissy!<br /><br />Then when our son was in the first standard, my husband saw the most electrifying notice! A famous cricket club in the city was having its selections. Our son had to, just had to, go for that.<br />"He's only 6" I said.<br />"But have you seen his game? He's way better than I ever was at his age. He's better than anyone I've seen. Just one look at his shots and he'll be snapped up like that!"<br />I guess I don't need to tell you what happened to that episode, right? The coach who was trying out the candidates struggled to keep a straight face but to give him full credit, he did allow our son to face one of the bowlers.<br />That incident is the source of a lot of hilarity in our family still. That my husband wanted our 6-year old to compete against 16 and 17-year olds and was so sure that he was better than any of them. Few children can claim that their father has so much confidence in them!<br /><br />Well, he is 16 now and even I can tell (very grudgingly) that he does seem to play well. Okay,okay , so he plays really well. I wish I could be happier about his talent like all those exemplary doting story-book mothers seem to be. Where he goes with his ability is up to Fate but I do admit that I wish his fate was not in the hands of a sport .<br />If nothing else, he learnt to travel all over Mumbai on his own, toting a cumbersome cricket kit and holding his own in jam-packed Mumbai trains!<br /><br />So why am I telling you all this? So that you'll know the depth of cricket passion that reigns in our home (among the males, at least) . They play cricket as if their soul depends on it. They watch cricket as if getting up from their chair while the batsman is still batting will put a jinx on it. They talk cricket as if that is all that matters to them.<br /><br />Yet, a few years ago , my husband took me out to this swanky restaurant in a popular 5-star hotel. We found that the Italian restaurant had a fixed menu for the day and it was vegetarian. Since we were not in the mood for vegetarian Italian cuisine, we walked out, planning to go elsewhere instead. Just as we were walking down the passage, Sachin Tendulkar, one of India's greatest cicketers ever ( or maybe that's one of the world's greatest cricketers ever) was walking in with his wife.<br />My husband, the cricket-mad, 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-of-the-year cricket freak didn't twitch a muscle.<br />He didn't recognise him!<br />"It must be because he wasn't wearing cricket whites," he argued when I teased him about it.<br /><br />Then, last year, we took our children to the same restaurant to celebrate (I forget what) and guess who was sitting at the very next table?<br />Mohammad Azharuddin, another cricket icon, who captained the Indian team for so many years (but who unfortunately went down in a blaze of controversy).<br />Neither my cricket-obsessed husband nor my equally cricket-mad son even recognised this cricket Great sitting just 3 feet away from them!<br />But I did.<br /><br />Moral of the story : men may see the overall picture but it takes a woman to see the finer details!Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-79493023355711364152009-09-27T16:45:00.003+05:302009-09-27T16:55:28.677+05:30Happy birthday, Google!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnI0SXWGBwFqRzMp0cFuefj3uOonhgB46zNWMT9gqs85PczYgzsCjMHuXONRTovcYIV8CQSbmlD3m7gA091FqoD0Qic3los3ncMrrGBAxLBMBo3UPa33kyrlrp8J4qXLzVXEhGcJRnofc/s1600-h/11th_birthday.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 110px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386104771089859666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnI0SXWGBwFqRzMp0cFuefj3uOonhgB46zNWMT9gqs85PczYgzsCjMHuXONRTovcYIV8CQSbmlD3m7gA091FqoD0Qic3los3ncMrrGBAxLBMBo3UPa33kyrlrp8J4qXLzVXEhGcJRnofc/s400/11th_birthday.gif" /></a> I did a double-take when I dropped by the Google site today. Something was not quite right. And then I saw it!<br />Somebody had not done the proofreading right, I thought. And giggled a little to think of such a massive mistake... one tiny mis-spelling, one huge red face for someone.<br /><br />Then I moved the mouse over it and found out that I should be laughing at myself instead. Someone at Google is very clever. That's their way of announcing that Google is 11!<br /><br />Happy birthday, Google. Thanks for being around and saving the day on too many occasions to count.<br />Especially when my children have a project to submit on some topic I have no clue about and don't want to admit it !Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-1980315270468227892009-09-12T13:22:00.001+05:302009-09-12T13:32:09.114+05:30Ji, Aunty-ji !Aunt : the sister of one's father or mother. Or the wife of one's uncle.<br />(Origin - Old French <em>ante</em> )<br /><br />Unless, of course, one lives in India. When every girl goes through a weird metamorphosis the minute she ties the knot and even before she steps out of the marriage hall. She is now Aunty to every one under 20.<br />Hey, so what if the addressor is all of 19 ? Our glowing bride is now a very respectable Aunty... even if she was thought to be the hottest babe in town just yesterday!<br /><br />The silk saris dripping <em>zari </em>and that new tag of Mrs. before her name brings with it heavy burdens. Not the least of them being this Aunty-fication!<br />Not 'Aunt X' or 'Aunt Y', but a very universal Aunty to the young.<br />To the others, she is a stop-gap <em>bhabhi </em>(sister-in-law). No matter that she may have never seen them before nor likely to ever again, and irrespective of a decided lack of any family connections either by blood or marriage. She is still their <em>bhabhi</em>; her <em>mangalsutra</em>/ <em>sindoor</em>/ wedding-band has seen to that!<br /><br />Then the first heir to the family genes appears. Now our Aunty-to-the-young takes on wider responsibilities in more ways than one. She is now Aunty to the world in general, age no bar. Even 40-somethings take the liberty of "aunty"-ing her. The young newly marrieds call her Aunty. So does the balding man in the provision store . As do all the children in her building, road and city. How very respectful!<br />And demoralising.<br />Not to mention, restricting!<br /><br />Of late my son has taken to this new form of repressal :"Mama, don't be such an Aunty!"<br />Aunties, apparently, aren't fun people. Gulp!Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-68732595509609157272009-08-21T19:43:00.001+05:302009-08-21T19:46:14.890+05:30Co-writer to the worldEver fancied yourself as an author? Join the whole world in writing a book! The <a href="http://www.theworldwritesabook.com/HomePage.html">WorldWritesABook.com </a>project has come up with this brilliant idea of giving every person in this world a chance to co-write a book ... a snippet at a time!<br /><br />The idea is to give each and every one of us ... from you, me and Chottu down the street, to Igor , Andre, Heather, Makame and Ling at the other corners of the globe ... a chance to write a snippet of the story, continuing from the first one published online by TWWAB team . Every day a new snippet is selected from all those submitted and the story rolls forward.<br /><br />There is no pre-set plot ... that's up to you (and the 6 billion odd people populating this world) to decide. You can add new twists and turns, introduce new characters or kill them off, turn a hero into a villain or vice versa ... the mind boggles!<br /><br />There are no guidelines except that you can submit only a snippet of 140 characters at a time and that you have to write it in english.<br /><br />And here's where it gets really interesting ... the person with the most number of accepted snippets stands to win a Grand Prize of $25,000 !<br />Incentive enough? I would think that the chance to have a say in which way a story sways is more than good enough. But this really does sweeten the deal, doesn't it?<br /><br />This book already looks set to become a best-seller to beat 'em all. After all, who wouldn't buy a book which they've written a part of ... even if that part is only 140 characters long! That's a definite market of about 6 billion books .<br /><br />So what's the story so far? Read it <a href="http://www.theworldwritesabook.com/WorkInProgress.html">here</a>.<br />And hopefully your name is going to show up in that column in the accepted entry list.Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-10058816724135671162009-08-17T14:45:00.004+05:302009-08-17T14:56:32.121+05:30Too much of a good thingThe thing I looked forward to the most when I was a kid (okay, when I grew up too) was ... vacations!<br />Sleep late, roll out of bed late, breakfast at noon, lie on the lawn and watch the clouds drift by, stroll, hang out with friends, watch movies, read and read and read ... oh, the sheer deliciousness of it!<br />There is a magical something in the very aimlessness and let-your-hair-down quality that these long holidays conjures up. Something that makes you long for it and count the days till you can revel in it again.<br /><br />This is exactly what my son (and his parents too) was looking forward to when he finished his Std. X Board exams in March this year. In the long, grimy, tough days while he was preparing for his exams, my favourite motivational talk was all about "study now and you'll have such a long vaction ... at least 3-4 months .... after your exams to enjoy yourself" .<br />And so with tempting pictures of what he would, or rather, would not do in these days of grace, I persuaded him to stick his nose to his books.<br /><br />The exams wound up and sure enough, his books were flung aside. Then followed a feast of 'doing-nothing', alternated sometimes with 'nothing doing'! Football on the beach, meeting friends, making friends, movies, eating out, staying up late, watching videos till midnight, cell-phoneitis till 2 a.m., doze off at 4, wake up at noon (except when there's football on the beach!)... mmmm, nothing changes except what we choose to do , or rather, don't do during the languid days of Vacation. The deliciousness, though, remains the same .<br /><br />Or does it? I wonder...<br />This year seems to have a record-breaking long Vacation. First there was all that drama about the online admissions and the court case about a quota for SSC Board students. And the date of reopening was extended till the first week of August when the normal date is somewhere in mid-July.<br /><br />Oh that's great, he said and promptly organised some more football in the rain and more outings with his friends. And then went down to his new college to check out the place and other friends and seniors from his school who're already studying there.<br /><br />He came back filled with anticipation. He had tried out for the football team and had been selected. Classes haven't started but football has!<br />Oh yes, and there are some college festivals he's been hearing all about and waiting to take part in...<br /><br />Then, Mumbai was swamped under the swine flu epidemic and all schools and colleges have been shut till the 20th of August . Which means my son's Junior College has still not re-opened.<br />This time his reaction was "Oh no!" .<br />Actually it was more like "Oh s..t!" but I freely translated that in the interests of maintaining motherly dignity (don't know why I bother! )<br />Anyway, back to the son's reaction ... "<em>When</em> are they going to open my college anyway? Its almost the end of August! "<br /><br />Hmmm .... looks like trouble in paradise. A severe case of discontent if nothing else. He's actually waiting for college to reopen now!<br />Maybe too much of ennui has got the better of him ?<br />Are too much of holidays just too much of a good thing?Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-57372887225307025742009-07-24T22:04:00.001+05:302009-07-24T22:12:05.608+05:30The tide of a lifetime !<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeJi2JHpugEhzSubK7w73SDXt5HS-_mEWv1qXAdKneRzPllVyp5Fdllk7nxuvLaQeyVXUw5LI1bhFIzSTUlo_iS2VX8vaXb24PbvFQPn8xsVbTLmk7g_n9_VGAuvTfu_jyzXPMiCgA2E/s1600-h/IMG_8253+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010363889061122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 338px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeJi2JHpugEhzSubK7w73SDXt5HS-_mEWv1qXAdKneRzPllVyp5Fdllk7nxuvLaQeyVXUw5LI1bhFIzSTUlo_iS2VX8vaXb24PbvFQPn8xsVbTLmk7g_n9_VGAuvTfu_jyzXPMiCgA2E/s400/IMG_8253+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> Today is special! Mumbai saw what the highest tide of the century looks like.<br /><br />And in my apartment close to the raging sea, I actually felt it. With each ginormous wave that crashed against a suddenly puny-looking wall, a strong vibration thudded through the table where I was resting my arms . My questioning (or was it terrified?) look was answered by my son who was lying down on his bed. He had felt it too.<br /><br />The sea had become a gigantic hammer!<br /><br />I ran to my balcony, camera in hand. Down on the road, throngs of people had the same idea. There was a carnival atmosphere and everyone was looking at the super spectacle put up by the sea.<br />Huge waves crashed against retaining walls and threw spray high into the air, sometimes 5-storeys high, and the eager wind carried it inland to rain on all the laughing people. I didn't see fear in anyone's face. Instead there was a jubilant mood, shouting in approval with each super-high plume of spray. Trying to match the sea roar for roar.<br /><br />Very soon, the road was flooded knee-high with water. Not because it was raining but because there wasn't enough time for the water from each giant wave to drain away before the next one hit. But the ever-growing crowd couldn't care less. All they wanted to do was to join in this momentous natural phenomenon taking place in their backyard!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLri34CVf679yrCSbFdcEYxhYl_Irm979p966vuuE4rzoUzQbtSfAsTBsGMIL9Oe5Aw-1OaNYcDvjhfYpBWWv0HEk58pdCTOrbwSUquQFlCszmwSit9FdsL2Kmn5P4QQ7gd7D2m8Nyt8/s1600-h/IMG_8267.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362009546670996834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLri34CVf679yrCSbFdcEYxhYl_Irm979p966vuuE4rzoUzQbtSfAsTBsGMIL9Oe5Aw-1OaNYcDvjhfYpBWWv0HEk58pdCTOrbwSUquQFlCszmwSit9FdsL2Kmn5P4QQ7gd7D2m8Nyt8/s400/IMG_8267.JPG" border="0" /></a> Not satisfied with the view from my balcony, I went up to the terrace of our building for a better view. And this is what I saw in a neighbouring compound!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bt_9zLihLbi3eEJYt2GHO0r5hvm3l4kj5-XsvTJX7IXKUeNjugc4tgBeFHwM7Axpc5nT-idp9Sj2Nk9OoCRso0J_7TzT1u8vFvKJAdcb4k6n_QqYAZJzUsyZZrC7Kw5cFiuFwa29sg8/s1600-h/IMG_8268.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362009552536133586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bt_9zLihLbi3eEJYt2GHO0r5hvm3l4kj5-XsvTJX7IXKUeNjugc4tgBeFHwM7Axpc5nT-idp9Sj2Nk9OoCRso0J_7TzT1u8vFvKJAdcb4k6n_QqYAZJzUsyZZrC7Kw5cFiuFwa29sg8/s400/IMG_8268.JPG" border="0" /></a> What can I say?<br />The fence had been ripped up and thrown aside like a flimsy piece of tissue paper.<br />And guess what else I saw? The sea was belching up all the plastic bags so carelessly tossed into it by the citizens of Mumbai !<br />Revenge of the Sea? Definitely! And a powerful warning not to take its placid appearance lightly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8oKwKqOOZq0pBieC9F66ZdcO3siDEvr7qr8scDDvd3bS9flKMFRI5eZs0165z2Dg6ndQvCVGDZb9LQc533s_Br4h3uQCnO7OigfhAIgqNct08HdYjq5p7pefLu7_eePMgKYIRHWHHDU/s1600-h/IMG_8247+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362009541665829634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8oKwKqOOZq0pBieC9F66ZdcO3siDEvr7qr8scDDvd3bS9flKMFRI5eZs0165z2Dg6ndQvCVGDZb9LQc533s_Br4h3uQCnO7OigfhAIgqNct08HdYjq5p7pefLu7_eePMgKYIRHWHHDU/s400/IMG_8247+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Incidentally, these photos were taken at mid-day but it was so cloudy that I didnt get any colour into the photos. Somehow, I think it looks better this way)</span></em> </p><p></p>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-60222293474598113382009-07-14T15:52:00.003+05:302009-07-14T16:05:27.214+05:30Home by the sea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM52piz1xpZVGCk7LA0DrKeyhNvib-9vi4oWHFLnPupz1fEQaYt7IVmtNVgGl5SldXX9XbD6aWURl5zwetlwnKM0WkvRquJWeI-cANFzPXTvei58Cf07iWgl6IFNnjxIZGENVlVm2ZM0/s1600-h/Zanzibar+-+Rocky.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345611998396060258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 386px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 287px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM52piz1xpZVGCk7LA0DrKeyhNvib-9vi4oWHFLnPupz1fEQaYt7IVmtNVgGl5SldXX9XbD6aWURl5zwetlwnKM0WkvRquJWeI-cANFzPXTvei58Cf07iWgl6IFNnjxIZGENVlVm2ZM0/s400/Zanzibar+-+Rocky.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This has to be the ultimate home by the sea!<br />Okay, so I'm stretching facts a bit ... apparently 'this' is not a home but a restaurant on the sunny coat of Zanzibar, just down the beach from <a href="http://www.zanzibarbeachhouse.com/index.html">Monsoon Garden </a>(sigh! I even love the name!).<br />But it looks more home-y, doesn't it?<br /><br />I'm not too keen about the sunniness factor ... but isn't it way too cool a spot to dream awhile, safely perched on a rock, with the tides literally lapping at my feet?<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">(Image courtesy : Monsoon Garden)</span></em>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-73668336379381911882009-06-23T13:40:00.000+05:302009-06-23T13:11:06.853+05:30Jewellery ? But naturally!<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTYCXCEr83Sgc0ATwgoPgwtazl4h-yioCO1_h3DocrWpYrpDucGQmtQ_HgsigLias1VJvaic11yHJ89JynuGsXv1_2bupTrBP2oeJL1GAZa-YSjWoYM2qTnSHkP8fknb-r8F77Na7Z2k/s1600-h/carambola+choker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344975699463768418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 340px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTYCXCEr83Sgc0ATwgoPgwtazl4h-yioCO1_h3DocrWpYrpDucGQmtQ_HgsigLias1VJvaic11yHJ89JynuGsXv1_2bupTrBP2oeJL1GAZa-YSjWoYM2qTnSHkP8fknb-r8F77Na7Z2k/s400/carambola+choker.jpg" border="0" /></a> Who would've thought something like carambola would make such exquisite jewellery! It's a fruit for heaven's sake!<br />But then, this is the work of Nubia Goncalves from Rio de Janeiro. Nubia uses Brazilian natural products, including gemstones and nuts, to craft such beautiful jewellery and sells these on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6089341&order=&section_id=&page=1">Etsy</a>.<br /><br />And yes, this is the same Starfruit (aka <em>Bilimbi</em>) which you'll find kids buying by the cartload from the <em>bhaiyya</em> outside their school-gates. Who knew it would have their mums lusting for it too?! Oh... watch that drool... this is a natural product so take care to keep it away from moisture.<br /><br />(I wonder whether I'd feel like munching on it if I was wearing it?<br />Maybe. Probably... <em>sigh</em>!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYV_44Rh45RGlAzq7YDxebv8btUpg4lBQNaFVjnKKgDDg-0oWxyh2ir1zjZai11obuGEjD7e98lBFusKVkbaluLCc3FNQviEtaEoxwzMvGTVKnTgS4MZkz83wnGl5D0irmezCXVMIods/s1600-h/blue+Abaca.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344977631430748322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 372px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYV_44Rh45RGlAzq7YDxebv8btUpg4lBQNaFVjnKKgDDg-0oWxyh2ir1zjZai11obuGEjD7e98lBFusKVkbaluLCc3FNQviEtaEoxwzMvGTVKnTgS4MZkz83wnGl5D0irmezCXVMIods/s400/blue+Abaca.jpg" border="0" /></a> So would you fancy blue rosebuds around your neck? Apparently they're actually Abacaxizinhos (don't ask me how that's pronounced, please!) and dotted with pearls.<br />Want a translation? I did, and checked out a couple of translation sites which told me that abacaxi means pineapple in Portuguese. So would these be the head of the pineapple? Maybe very tiny, baby ones?<br />In any case, isn't their resemblance to rosebuds amazing?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHlgRmhCWrbgxpn4NQ6d9hgGANUyimyNHmRDOJMTT3NkTEQr_WrO8rBK9x2bPdus5SIUcXSdBEv3ZKuZr1KOeOkL5_qT4P27v5J2qAYTxpXaQooRTf0qA3v03_xAQ53NPlR_G4WeCY30/s1600-h/coco+disc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344978990004429394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 397px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHlgRmhCWrbgxpn4NQ6d9hgGANUyimyNHmRDOJMTT3NkTEQr_WrO8rBK9x2bPdus5SIUcXSdBEv3ZKuZr1KOeOkL5_qT4P27v5J2qAYTxpXaQooRTf0qA3v03_xAQ53NPlR_G4WeCY30/s400/coco+disc.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now this is super fun!<br />As zesty as chilled lemonade on a hot day, these coco discs in bright sunshiny colours can bring a smile to anyone.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8icm2VHJLcaNY98rGyouwY2zkhq4vWdZZJdQPx6zIgHsFtW5bqKFwk8yHc0a8ibJxn7iTb7taH_89I6bay57m_NJh0EMiWkATvA69jRxML_fE3SAwyved6ZtHLXFnCGnpb7smgl2aWUg/s1600-h/coco+disc+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344980820907791554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 393px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8icm2VHJLcaNY98rGyouwY2zkhq4vWdZZJdQPx6zIgHsFtW5bqKFwk8yHc0a8ibJxn7iTb7taH_89I6bay57m_NJh0EMiWkATvA69jRxML_fE3SAwyved6ZtHLXFnCGnpb7smgl2aWUg/s400/coco+disc+2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="left"></a></p>Or try an earthy one for a change.<br />Mmmm...hmmm...! I've got to find a way to turn a skull-breaking coconut into a mind-boggling piece of jewellery!<br /><br /><br />(<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Images courtesy : <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6089341">Nubia Goncalves</a></span></em><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6089341"> </a>) </div>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-49703717326824221372009-06-15T16:32:00.010+05:302009-06-15T19:38:15.894+05:30Children of Lesser Boards - 2I had written the previous post <a href="http://chai-n-spice.blogspot.com/2009/06/children-of-lesser-boards.html">'Children of Lesser Boards' </a>when the issue had just come up and then had put it aside, intending to publish it later. Actually I was a bit concerned that in my shock and dismay, maybe I was not being objective enough . Then Life took over and I got too involved with other things to have time for blogging.<br /><br />In the meantime, the 90%-10% issue progressed with the Chief Minister stepping in and declaring that it would not come into effect as the legal opinion was that it is unfair (well, I could've told you that!) and brings up issues of equality.<br />I can think of more things that it can be called... discriminatory, unjust, favoritism, undemocratic, unconstitutional and downright shocking!<br /><br />In any case, I debated whether I should still publish my post seeing how the situation had changed and have decided that I will. Just to make my opinion known too, for what it's worth.<br /><br />The education ministry feels that the other Boards should start their own colleges and that the students should stick to those. Why? If the student likes another college for whatever reason, why should he be denied a fair chance of getting admission there?<br /><br />I can't understand why the few days before the admissions start are always riddled with such controversies. Each time it is the students who have to bear the burden for whatever things their Board did or didn't do. If you really need to change things around, change the system. Why should the students suffer because one Board gives more marks and the other doesn't?<br /><br />The parents are already wrung out after a whole year of putting aside their own lives and concentrating on their child's studies. The children are just getting over the stress of tutorials, lectures, hours of study and exams themselves. We really don't need this now or ever!Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8834259211447876563.post-13162186594009110362009-06-09T19:33:00.028+05:302009-06-15T17:22:39.658+05:30Children of Lesser Boards90% of the seats for Junior Colleges in Maharashtra are going to be reserved for SSC students!<br />Not 30% ... or even 50% ... but a whole, walloping 90% ! Outrageously unfair!<br /><br />Apparently the state education ministry feels that the SSC students need a very strong push because their marks are not as high as that of students from other Boards.<br /><br />Hmmm.... I know how much the ICSE student has to study because my son just wrote that exam. And I've seen some of the books studied by his friends in SSC schools. The SSC books and the depth which the syllabus seems to skims through is barely a fraction of that which my son had to study in the same class.<br /><br />After fretting, sweating and slogging the whole year, cutting down on sports and other activities, and nearly turning purple in the face with the amount of studying done, if my ICSE boy gets better scores than his SSC friend (who already has the advantage of having less to study), then does he really have to be punished for it?<br /><br />So... the marking system in ICSE system makes it easier for the students to score high. Well, what's stopping the SSC Board from adopting a similar system? Change the system, don't penalise the students who chose to follow another system.<br /><br />Reports in the newspapers quote parents of SSC students claiming that the marks given by the other Boards are "abnormally high". Really? Well, I find the amount of studies covered by an SSC student in comparison with that of an ICSE student, is equally unfair!<br /><br />On the one hand, you have the ICSE Board which forces the students to study tons and tons of stuff (which I've grumbled about before) and prepare projects and submit assignments in each subject. For these projects they are assessed internally for a maximum of 20 marks. No, they're not just freely 'given' those marks. They do have to work for it, only not in a question & answer form.<br /><br />On the other hand, you have the SSC Board which covers far less portions in the syllabus, prescribes easier textbooks and offers a much easier job of studying but the marking is rather strict, from what I've heard.<br /><br />So where is the inequality for the SSC student? Doesn't it all even out in the end?<br /><br />Incidentally, I do not for a single minute think that the SSC students are less intelligent or capable than their counterparts in ICSE, CBSE or IB schools. No way! So why on earth do they need a crutch like this?<br />Why are the other children handicapped for no fault of theirs? Why are they made out to be less equal?<br /><br />Apparently, the officials wants to bring about more parity between the marks scored in the SSC and other Boards. Well, first bring about the same parity in the standard of education. How can you penalise someone for studying more?<br /><br />Let them build colleges for their students says the minister about the fate of the students from other Boards relegated to a mere 10% statistic. Why do I hear echoes of Marie-Antoinette's "let them eat cake!" ?<br /><br />I wonder why the same education ministry sanctioned all those ICSE, CBSE and IB schools if they had no intention of allowing the students to compete fairly for seats in quality colleges.<br />Now here's a fact for you : there just aren't that many good quality colleges in Mumbai. There are some, true. But not enough.<br /><br />What on earth happened to good old Merit? Why is everything about reservations and quotas nowadays? Soon will they introduce reservations on whom one can marry?<br />Where and when will we begin to live as truly equal citizens in this country? Why is it that if you score more or earn more, you automatically go to the bottom of the ladder to make way, almost guiltily, for those who didn't?<br /><br />I know! At the end of the next elections, the person who gets the least amount of votes should be declared the winner.<br />Same logic, no?<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">p.s. This post is <strong>not</strong> a sneering put-down of the capabilities of the SSC Board or its students. Nor is it a song of praise glorifying the students of other Boards. It is just one mother's shocked reaction to what I see as sheer injustice and discrimination. </span></em>Sunita Mohan http://www.blogger.com/profile/16395671437601246093noreply@blogger.com4