"Being in the Moment" - A talk on photography

I was lucky enough to witness a great talk on photography delivered by Mr. Sudhir Ramachandran.  Just to give an idea of his credentials, he was once the Asian Ambassador to the World Council of Professional Photographers (WCPP).
The talk was part of an exhibition on Contemporary Photography organised by National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA, Blr) and Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Sudhir started his presentation by saying it's been more than a decade since he gave a talk on photography. And a lot have changed during the time. Many of the pictures he showed was part of his personal collection which have not been shown anywhere else(!).

BYE in OYE

BYE RAJIV

Oh sorry those of who u didn't know  Rajiv S.Perumal has been officially posted in TCS,Mumbai (finally!! almost an year since he got the offer). So we had met up for dinner for the last time...in this year

We included Me ,Rajiv,Vaisak, Manoj & Dhiru.

Rajiv always liked Oye Amritsar in church street  and since Dhiru recommended the new one in Koramangala is Very Good, we thought lets see wat’s all the Oye about.(even i like Oye,but that's a different one the blessed souls who read my creative gibberish G&G will understand what i mean)

Coming back to Oye Amritsar,the first thing that hits you is the decor and ambience,trying to recreate the Dhaba environment.The parking-lot itself is covered in the design of a lorry back door .The sign board too is very creatively done,not too mention the walls where one can see relaxSingh 

Step in to the dining roof (yeah its in terrace) its all breezy and nice.I saw some candle lights too in some tables,but I seriously doubt whether its was supposed to be candle lit romantic dinner,because the place is kinda funky and loud. The Bar counter is named London beer & wines owned by Tipsy Singh and similarly tandoor and main food counter have been creatively decorated as well. I could have take many pics, but you see all attention was on Rajiv. 

The menu was in form of rubber flaps which hang in the back of a truck.One can see the effort that has gone in the designing of the whole thing. 

Johnny ka Label , Pepper Vodka Golgappa shows they really mean it when they say dhabha experience.

The staff were courteous and the service was good enough for a restaurant of this kind.

Dhiru wanted to try the shorbha and we almost chuckled at the sight of it.First the quantity was too low.Second the spoon was already inside and the waiter just brought it as it is .No tray no saucer no salver and the spoon with the soup was wobbling as the waiter was figuring out who among  us was the lucky one.Finally it settled on Dhiru’s place.He looked at me and  said “Lakshmi aren't you gonna blog abt this??” Sure dude i just did.

The soup was good so we didn’t make it a big issue.The starters were amazing both the Chicken and Gobi.The main course was good,but again, the presentation was poor,none of them looked appetizing. Since almost all dishes were tasty and the fact that it was past 10 pm already we didn't have the time to crib about it, plus u know… Rajiv IS  leaving to Mumbai.Vaisak and Rajiv had the long glass lassi’s .They said it was really nice and awfully heavy.

Overall it was nice but lil expensive than i thought (came to 300 per head and we ordered very few dishes).But it has definitely made into my list of eat-outs.

BTW I am pleased to inform, Rajiv has landed safely in Mumbai,   and will be travelling 80 kms daily to work in the local trains ( he didn’t sound happy abt it though..i wonder why )

BYE RAJIV, all the coffee shops in Bangalore is going to miss your presence,but not more than me.

ALL THE BEST MAVERICK 

 

 

THANK YOU ALL for My B’day Blast

This post is to thank everyone who saved my birthday to become the best one till date (aren’t these smileys cool )

Thanks to Him…I was alive to celebrate my birthday .

Thanks to unknown aliens who r in a galaxy far far way for not attacking earth and steal my thunder.

Thanks to Mayan calendar who assured me world wont end before 2012 and i can go ahead with my plans

Thanks to my family for wishing me (each one did at different timings so i had my family wishing throughout the day)

Thanks to Neha to be the first one to wish me exactly @ 12am.

Thanks to Snigi who kept herself awake to wish me @ 12 and wished me @12.02 am – merci beacoup

Thanks to Rajiv who kept trying and finally caught me on call and wished me @ 12.10 am

Thanks to Tiger who called @ 12.45 after driving for 400kms in bike through flood filled AP.

Thanks to Anbu, Nisha who woke me up with their wishes proving distance,time or frequency of talking does not hinder friendship

A Big THANKS to all my friends & relatives for their orkut scraps and wall posts and phone calls

Thanks to Vijay Mallya to have build such an airy and luxurious UB city

Thanks to RAJDHANI group for serving such good unlimited food @ affordable price tag

Thanks to Meghna, Rajiv, Neha, Vibhor, Dhiru & Vaisak for taking time out to come to my humble treat .

Thanks to Vasanth Doss for his ISD call @ the right time

Thanks to Neha for ordering the yummiest black forest.thanks to Thom’s bakery for making it so good.Thanks to Vibhor for picking it up

Thanks to Meghs for the good fitting black tshirt

Thanks to Vaisak n Rajiv for their double gift

With the landmark card i bought my first book- Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (recommended by bookie friend Snigi )

and the second gift came a lil late but was worth the wait…all my favorite moments from Alliance captured in a calendar aptly named PRICELESS

THANKS GUYS 4 DA BEST GIFT EVER

THANK U ALL ONCE AGAIN FOR UR WISHES

BE HAPPY & CHEERS TO LIFE

LOVE ALL.MAY GOD BLESS YOU

My Stupid Mouth

My stupid mouth,
Has got me in trouble.
I said too much again.
To a date over dinner yesterday
And I could see she was offended.
She said well anyway...
Just dying for a subject change.
Oh, its another social casualty
Score one more for me
How could I forget?
Mama said think before speaking
No filter in my head.
Oh, whats a boy to do?
I guess he better find one soon

We bit our lips. she looked out the window
Rolling tiny balls of napkin paper
I played a quick game of chess with the
Salt and pepper shaker.
And I could see clearly
An indelible line was drawn
Between what was good, what just
Slipped out and what went wrong.
Oh, the way she feels about me has changed.
Thanks for playing, try again.
How could I forget?
Mama said think before speaking
No filter in my head.
Oh, whats a boy to do?
I guess he better find one.
Im never speaking up again. it only hurts me.
Id rather be a mystery than she desert me.
Oh Im never speaking up again.
Starting now
One more thing.
Why is it my fault?
So maybe I try too hard
But its all because of this desire
I just wanna be liked, I just wanna be funny.
Looks like the jokes on me
So call me captain backfire
Im never speaking up again it only hurts me.
Id rather be a mystery than she desert me.
Oh Im never speaking up again
Starting now

**********************************************

Had some serious tussle with not 1 not 2 but 3 of my friends.Although each one was in  separate instances… all of them said the same thing “you cannot just say whatever u like..think before u speak”..I wasn’t abusing and was in anger ..nor i had a intention of hurting them..they were all just statements, sumthing which i said simply and eh yeah.. thoughtlessly..  may be i shud have put some thought before saying things…  funny thing i consider myself as a big thinker..stupid me.

So I shut myself for some time,so that i don’t get into trouble.. at least for now (:P)…………………..the more i thought abt it i found something

I could have got angry and thought…

1. They are stupid
2. they are rude
3. they don’t respect my friendship

If  I want to look at it positively...i can say

1. they are listening to me and really give importance to wat i say
2. they are honest enough to tell it to my face rather bitching abt me with others
3. they really care & want me to change my negatives to be a better person

Everything happens for a reason… but what reason?  its all in the way you look at it…its like the shoe salesman who went to a new city and said with frustration “ there is no market cuz no one wears shoes there” while another shoe salesman went to the same city and came back  with glee and said “There is a huge market cuz no one wears shoes there”

I am like the second salesman and see things positively..(but frankly speaking  i cant sell anything :P).

THIS IS FOR U

Yes. This post is for YOU.

Don’t look around …its really ‘U’

so who are you?

You are one of kindest souls who took some time out of your busy life to read my scribbling and  I would like to say a Big Heartfelt “THANK U” to stress on how much this means to me.

I met my friend today..I meet him daily and we hangout for 2-3 hrs daily to chat all nonsense..It helps me take my mind off all the stress of work.

Talking about stress , its not my work that’s stressful (because i like what i do) its the people around me who are the reason for my stress.Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying they are causing the stress, its my inability to give proper attention to them which is causing all the  stress to me.

I met a friend today and after initial Q’s like how r u? how is work? how is life? etc etc she told “ i keep reading your blog from time time”

OMG!!! I had almost forgot my blog..

I didn’t know she reads my blog and there is good chance that there might be others like her who read my blog occasionally and yet i don't know who they are..

I haven’t blogged for quite some time with lot many things going on around me……

So Am I so Busy? – not really

The ppl with whom i used to talk frequently or with whom i want to talk frequently are busy with their lives and ppl who want to speak to me say i have become so busy with my life (my dad called up one day and wanted a appointment to talk with me – although he meant as a joke  I felt very bad)

Truth is I feel something is missing ..like in Stuart Little, he says there is a “empty space”   I am not sure what i am missing …may be its my friends ,the daily hi, hellos, genuine ones not like in office as a formality .

i can see my friends drifting apart ,the degrees of separation seems to increase.Yeah i know life’s like that only..but

wherever you go ,whatever you do,i would pray for your well being because you have took your time of your busy life to read my scribbling…

and i cant THANK U enough for that.

 

When Nature Calls

No ,this is not about the metabolic activity we all do every day (one thing where no one fails ).

Today, I left office much earlier than my usual time ,didn’t want to hangout with friends (cost cutting ). Anyways i took a Volvo near empty and the FM  [at least that still works in my dumb ericsson,Sony is still sound ] played my “color of music”.

I got out the bus with the music still playing

i took a walk along the park

where the sun was still setting,

its funny to see dogs bark

without any sound (headphones)

It started to get dark

i slowly crossed the play ground

the breeze made me to take my headphones off

i heard the birds chirping with glee

as if they were happy to see me

I realized simple things of nature brings 

peace to my mind more than precious things

So when natures calls me

i would attend with glee

 

pls bear my poetic insanity…..

love all (at least try ) 

MJ

Life’s Good…. :)

Many at times,I realize things very early or very late,like i will be head over heels,abt spending the weekend @ Home(Madurai) two weeks later,and when I am actually there I will be sad that I have to go to college on Monday.

I am trying to be adjust the time variance between my realization of events and their actual occurrence.Which is why I blog,so i can express my feelings as spontaneous as possible.This brings to this last post of the month where I want to share with you all what I just realized today abt my life.

My Life is actually… pretty Good,Not bad ,way better than expected.Do You wanna know the reasons,as to how i have come to this conclusion? Here they are…….

One:I have completed My Post Graduation in Marketing,first PG in the family, First MBA in Family Group(immediate relatives) and I have done it quite good with 80 % overall

Two:Even though its recession,I have got the job I wished for – Placed from Campus ,In Bangalore in a Non Sales Job (nothing against sales ,the thing is I am not good at it)

Three:Though College is over,I still hangout with my best buddies and I am in touch with most of my good friends.One of them has become very special bcoz I believe this connection has made me more alive and full of life :)

Four:I have started working on my first real job,and have been given a huge responsibility ,bigger than i expected. While some of my peers are in training and chasing targets..I am training others and fixing their targets and I am loving it :) (there is a flipside,i earn less than my peers)

Five : My social outing time has has increased considerably,having more fun everyday,Sleep more than I used to ..(eating is still a problem)..This weekend I went for a movie I been waiting for ..Angels & Demons with my friends (will post the review soon) , I went to Innovative Film City with my Bro and his friends.

SIX : I have started two blogs and kept my promise of posting regularly with good stuff too..

Seven: Sure I had some problems but I have more reasons to smile than to crib about.

Eight : I finally have the courage to bury the skeletons in my closet and move on with life.

Nine : I have realized my Life’s Good in the correct time not sooner or later.

Ten:Last but not least I am alive and in good health ,good enough to blog this :)

I just want to Give a Big Warm HUG to everyone around me and thank them for all their Love and Support.

“LOVE U ALL AND MAY THE LORD BE WITH YOU”