Laugh a little, at yourself.

Dog in Car - Saratoga, CA, USA

2011-11-18T00:23:00.001+05:30

Dog in Car - Saratoga, CA, USA, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Was waiting for my brother to pick me up from the mall when I noticed this alert Corgi (?) leaning out of his master's car. What was interesting was that the dog didn't try to jumpt out or bark or look uncomfortable. Must be a great pet!

Birds of a feather, Spanish Bay, CA, USA

2011-11-18T00:18:00.001+05:30

Birds of a feather, Spanish Bay, CA, USA, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Birds on the beach at Spanish bay, CA, USA - nearly all looking one way. Notice how birds of a kind stay together - the browns to the left, the centre occupied by white breasted sea gulls and black birds to the right!

Jackals at the RCGC Kolkata

2011-08-21T22:46:00.001+05:30

Jackals at the RCGC Kolkata, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

I spotted this young pair of jackals on the 17th fairway of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata (http://www.rcgc.in/). I am told that there are several of this species on the premises of this very old golf club (it is the oldest golf club outside Great Britain - it was founded in 1829!). These lovely animals roamed free in these parts till urbanization left only the golf club premises with the natural habitat that they require. Then the club was fenced off and so these furry animals live in peace in the woods surrounding the club. I am told that the club provides them with food and water. They are out on the fairway sunning themselves after a weeks' heavy downpour(Took this with the the only camera available - my Nokia E71 mobilephone camera)

Dancing Peacock

2011-07-31T12:20:00.001+05:30

Dancing Peacock, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Caught a peacock with his fan of tail feathers fully extended, dancing to attarct his harem next to the 7th (?) tee box on the Delhi Golf Course with my Nokia E71 mobilephone camera. Rain was moments away, and the mating calls of this and other peacocks filled the air.

Intelligence failure - what's that?

2011-07-25T00:40:00.002+05:30

"Intelligence failure" has become a cliche of sorts - no one is sure of what the term means and yet each time we have a law & order situation or a terrorist strike, this two-word phrase is bandied about by "experts on TV shows etc who would have one believe that while nothing in this world is or can be perfect, intelligence collection is so simple that by mere application of the right sort of effort (no one is sure what this means!), we would have perfect intelligence!

I think we need to desist from such general comments that serve no purpose. Also, I don't think anyone expects intelligence to be 100% correct *and* available 100% of the times. To presume that each and every terror strike is always preceded with accurate intelligence on place, time and participants, failing which we must conclude that there was "intelligence failure" is, to say the least absurd if not outright stupid. Intelligence failure is not the same as say, "Power failure" or "Mechanical breakdown". This is obvious. Intelligence failure is a term that should be used sparingly when an entire system of intelligence collection, collation and dissemination has grossly failed over a period of time. This has not been the case and, therefore, if we use this phrase loosely we will do gross injustice to our intelligence organizations in particular and to security agencies and the police in general.

Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli

2010-11-29T09:38:00.001+05:30

Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Spent a delightful couple of days at this old cantonment town of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh - a quaint hill-station (built in 1842 or 1845) which is a great getaway during the oppresive Delhi summers - just four and a half hours away by road. There is also a train from Delhi up to Kasauli from where one can drive up to Kasauli. Spotted this old post box on one of our long walks - htere are several great trails and walks in and around this town.

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India

2010-07-19T21:31:00.001+05:30

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

On way from Amritsar to Chandigarh we stopped by a serai (resting place), Serai Amant Khan, built during the Mughal rule. It's being restored by the Archeological Department, Govt. of India. The beautiful Serai Amanat Khan houses the tomb of Amanat Khan, majestically guarded by the minarets on the four sides of the tomb. The mosque in the vicinity is adorned with beautiful verses in Persian. This serai like the others served as a resting place for the people passing the royal road from Atari to Govindwal. All of them, including the Amanat Khan Serai, has water tanks to serve the inmates staying in the serais.

There I chanced upon this proud, smiling old man who was all too willing to be photograhed. We hardly spoke but the few moments we spent together were as if we were old friends. That's the charm of rural India - dignified informality.

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India

2010-06-09T14:29:00.002+05:30

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Remember the Geeta Dutt song "Mera naam Chin Chin Choo..." in the Shakti Samanta film "Howrah Bridge" (1958) which was reused in Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay"? That song kept ringing in my head as we cruised along the Hoogly at night. The cool evening breeze, the silent darkness and the Howrah Bridge emerging out of the dark waters - I felt I was in a dream!

Crows in conference!

2010-06-09T14:05:00.001+05:30

Crows in conference!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

"Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told."

From: "A Murder of One" on the album 'August and Everything After' - Band: Counting Crows.

Beautiful Sunday evening!

2008-10-18T09:25:00.001+05:30

Beautiful Sunday evening!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

As dusk settles in the view of Cochin Port across the waters from Ernakulam is magical! The golden hue on the Taj Residency Hotel (foreground, right) and the multicoloured lights dotting the horizon make this a compelling sight!

May Flowers

2008-05-12T10:21:00.001+05:30

May Flowers
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Mid May and the flowering trees in and around our golf course are in full bloom! Red, Yellow, Mauve, Purple ... the tree tops have them all! This is the tree one sees when waiting for one's turn to tee off at the course's first tee box. (Taken with my NOKIA 3230 mobile phone)

Kovalam Beach by Night

2008-01-07T18:01:00.001+05:30

Kovalam Beach by Night
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

"The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair."
"Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold

Sitting on the cool sands of Kovalam beach (Kerala, India) late one night after most had retired to their hotel rooms and homes I was attracted by the soft, golden glow of the sand and the white, foaming waves that gently hit the beach. The distant lights of another hotel further down the beach and the beach umbrella made of coconut fronds in the foreground completed the composition.

Hello!

2007-09-13T15:40:00.001+05:30

Hello!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Bala's cat giving him the enquiring look! What an act she's putting on!

"The cat is above all things, a dramatist. " - Unknown

Night Sky - Trivandrum / 1st June 2007

2007-06-15T12:20:00.001+05:30

Night Sky - 2 / Trivandrum / 1st June 2007
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

The moon was full but there was some haze else I would have got more of the stars that filled the sky on this warm night. The coconut trees behind our backyard stood still on this breeze-less night like shadows in a dream. (View large size)

An old Banyan Tree on the road to Dehu from Pune

2007-05-20T15:00:00.001+05:30

An old Banyan Tree on the road to Dehu from Pune
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

The road from Pune to Dehu (the home town of Sant Tukaram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tukaram) is lined with magnificient, old Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) trees with huge aerial roots spreading over a large area. I can imagine the weary traveller in the days before the motorcar resting himself and his bullocks or his horse under their cool shade.

Eco-friendly lawn mowing?

2007-05-06T12:36:00.001+05:30

Eco-friendly lawn mowing?
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

These docile donkeys snack on the manicured grass on the road divider unmidful of the distractions of a busy road in suburban Mumbai! Maybe they are the more diligent employees of the Municipal Corporation helping to keep the city clean and green! Sounds like an outrageous idea? Don't dismiss it till you have a look at this http://www.goatsrus.com/what_we_do.htm !!

Red Ants

2007-03-20T12:51:00.001+05:30

Red Ants-02
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

These red ants are not afraid to go on the offensive and will attack without hesitation. Here three of them take guard (observe their positioning) as they sense my camera zooming in on them, waving their antennae and baring their sharp fangs! (view large).

Sunset at Mattupetty, Idukki, Kerala, India

2007-01-30T17:24:00.001+05:30

Sunset at Mattupetty, Idukki, Kerala, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

"It was the cooling hour, just when the rounded
Red sun sinks down behind the azure hill,
Which then seems as if the whole earth is bounded,
Circling all nature, hush'd, and dim, and still ...."
Lord Byron, "Don Juan"

The Runners - Trivandrum, Kerala, India

2006-12-07T18:50:00.000+05:30

The Runners - Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

As the world stands still and looks on with several thoughts running through their minds, the runners sprint by in a blur. The runners have just one thought in their minds - to breast the tape first !

The "Samrat Yantra", Jaipur, India

2006-12-04T11:22:00.000+05:30

"Samrat Yantra" - another view
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

The time in my watch was 4:45 PM - and this sun dial showed the time (you can see the shadow line on the right) as"4:43 PM" !! ("Samrat Yantra", Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India).

Designer "Mehndi"

2006-11-21T16:42:00.000+05:30

Designer "Mehndi"
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

These are the intricately "Mehndi" (henna)-painted hands of my young niece who was recently married. The "Mehndi" ceremony is a popular event (held a day or two before the wedding) in Indian marriages. The bride-to-be's female friends and the womenfolk of the house get their hands and feet decorated by "Mehndi" experts. There is a lot of singing, dancing and light ribbing of the bride-to-be and everyone has a great time!

Palayam Mosque, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

2006-11-18T19:04:00.000+05:30

Palayam Mosque, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

A view of the mosque at Palayam, Trivandrum, Kerala, India as seen from the Police Stadium grounds. The Martyrs Column that honours those who sacrificed their lives during India's freedom struggle is on the left. Not in picture and behind the mosque is a Hindu temple. Similarly, towards the left but not in the photo is a beautiful Christian church. These are symbols of the secular nature of India where we have always respected all religions and cultures but, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, we refuse to let any one of them blow us off our feet.

Neelakurinji flowering - September 2006

2006-09-20T16:16:00.000+05:30

Neelakurinji flowering - September 2006. Rajamalai Hills about an hour's drive from Munnar in Idukki district, Kerala, India. This region also forms part of the Eravipuram National Park that is home to the Nilgiri Tahr, a protected species. When the Neelakurinji flowers once in 12 years it carpets the slopes of these hills turning them a violet-blue as far as the eye can see. We drove up the hills specialy to witness this once-in-12-years natural phenomenon and we wern't disappointed! (see some of the photographs we took at Neelakurinji Flowering 2006 )

Onam Week Celebrations 2006 - 1

2006-09-05T12:06:00.000+05:30

Onam Week Celebrations 2006 - 1
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

I was sitting right across the Chandrashekaran Nair Police Stadium, Trivandrum, too far to get a close up of the magnificent, caparisoned elephants lined up on the other side. But I did catch the multi-hued sky, the silhouette of the tress and the Palayam church atop which stands a huge statute of Jesus with arms outstretched blessing all those below. What a grand finale this was to this year's inauguration of the Onam festival.

King Mahabali makes an appearance !

2006-09-05T12:02:00.000+05:30

King Mahabali makes an appearance !
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Legend has it that King Mahabali of Kerala appears once a year, during the Onam festival to bless his people.

This Onam I saw him at the entrance of a hotel in Trivandrum I was about to enter! Resplendent in his colourful royal attire, and holding a traditional palm-leaf umbrella, he looked grand and dignified as he welcomed people with a smile to the "Onam Sadya" (feast)! I lost no time in snapping him with my Nokia 3230 mobilephone camera before he disappeared!

Coffee Table Miscellanea

2006-08-12T16:54:00.000+05:30

Coffee Table Miscellanea
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Looking down at the coffee table
besides my armchair
I see this collection of assorted things.
All useful in their own way,
denoting my tastes, style and flair.

Writing Implements

2006-08-12T16:48:00.000+05:30

Writing Implements
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Draw, doodle, scratch or scribble
Sign, tap, or even nibble
These are tools with which you write
Sketch, mark and sometimes copywrite*

(*as in copywriter)

The Lone Palmyra, Kovalam, Trivandrum

2006-07-26T13:31:00.000+05:30

The Lone Palmyra, Kovalam, Trivandrum
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

The lone palmyra on the rock! Short, stubby, unbending it stands its ground in the heavy winds! Perhaps it mocks the taller, slimmer coconut palms that are bent by the winds or maybe it is stoic, like the eagle on the rock in Elinor H. Wylie's poem "The Eagle & The Mole"* - indifferent to the harsh sun, the strong winds or the thundering waves that crash at its feet.

*Avoid the reeking herd,
Shun the polluted flock,
Live like the stoic bird,
The eagle on the rock."
- Elinor Hoyt Wylie

Beaten-silver Skies

2006-05-28T11:22:00.000+05:30

Beaten-silver Skies
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

We had heavy rains lash Trivandrum all night last night and it was overcast wheh I left home a little before 6 AM for a round of Sunday morning golf. But after the first 9 holes the skies cleared and there was a cool, refreshing breeze. Our three-some sat down for a cup of hot coffee near the club house when someone remarked about "beaten-silver" skies. I looked up and saw this incredible sight - fluffy clouds high up in the sky, pushed into an orderly array by the winds. Hoping the light was right I pointed my Nokia 3230 phone camera towards the skies and came up with this picture. The gloom of the previous few days was gone, body and mind feeling refreshed and uplifted. It is amazing how a change in weather and the scenery can change one's mood! (click photo to se full size)

Leafless in Trivandrum!

2006-05-14T14:52:00.000+05:30

Leafless in Trivandrum!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

This leaf-less tree in other months has thick green leaves and light pink/light yellow flowers. Today it looked down on those taking their morning walk, unmindful of its leafless canopy, but looking elegant all the same. It was as if it was stretching its arms to give. Let's take a leaf from this tree ... when we stretch our arms next, let them stretch out to give and not to take. (click photo to view full size)

Tree in bloom, 6th Green, The Trivandrum Golf Club

2006-04-30T14:07:00.000+05:30

Tree in bloom - 1, 6th Green The Trivandrum Golf Club
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

was playing a round of golf this Sunday morning when I had regulation 3-on onto the 6th. It's the only 5-par on the Trivandrum Golf Club. While I was lining up my put I saw this beautiful tree, right behind the pin. In full bloom, its golden yellow flowers and dark green leaves looked magnificient against the clear blue sky in the background. I took out my Nokia 3230 and snapped up this lovely photo right there. Then I wrote this note and blogged it via GPRS! What a perfect Sunday morning! (click on photo to see full size)

Antique Postbox, Perumbavoor, Kerala, India

2006-04-20T23:26:00.000+05:30

Antique Postbox, Perumbavoor, Kerala, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

I recently traveled to Perumbavoor, a town about 30 kms from the city of Cochin in Kerala, India. At the Government Rest House there I saw an antique postbox of the erstwhile Travancore State. Painted red and black with touches of golden yellow on its crown, the postbox is made of cast iron and on its black base is written "Massey & Co, Madras", most probably the manufacturer of these postboxes. There is an embossed inscription that says "Cleared by Travancore Anchal" in English ("Anchal" means "Post" in Malayalam) and another inscription in Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala. The box has the Royal Emblem of the State of Travancore along three sides of its top. The design of the post box reminds one of the postboxes in the Victorian era. While no one was at hand to tell me how old the postbox was, I would think it would be at least pre-1950, if not earlier.

What impressed me was the solidity of the construction and how well-crafted the box was - each detail still intact even after all these years - almost a work of art. (click on the pictures to see them full-size)

Atria

2006-04-15T23:07:00.000+05:30

Image_35.jpg
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Atrium. A large open space

in a building, usually topped

by a glass roof, sometimes

containing elaborate landscaping and ponds.

Atrium. One of the two

smaller chambers of the heart,

form the curved top of the heart, above the larger ventricles

beating out the rythm of life.

Each atrium consists

of an open space with recessed walls.

Each a space to let the light in,

for vision or for enlightenment.

(Click on photo to see it full size)

Just Imagine!

2006-04-11T19:35:00.000+05:30

"Everything you can imagine is real."

Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)

Does art imitate life or is it the other way around? If you can imagine a thing then does it already exist? Put another way, can we imagine only those things that already exist? Is the universe a closed set of ideas that are floating around waiting to be picked up like radio waves are picked up by antennae? Are the number of ideas finite? Or are they finite only for each level of intelligence? Just imagine!

The question really is, what is "new"? What's a new idea? A new invention? Or are there just new discoveries? Are discoveries finite? - I mean one could go on discovering newer and newer things. But ideas, inventions? Would their number be limited by the level of our intelligence or by our imagination? Is our imagination limited by our IQ? (I know people with humungus IQs but who have little imagination and even less patience with those who have it!)

Albert Einstein once said "Imagination is more important than knowledge" and Bertrand Russell said that "Science may set limits on knowledge but should not set limits on imagination."

No limits! Just let your imagination free...but, like with every freedom exercise responsiblity for, to paraphrase Goethe, nothing is more obnoxious than imagination without taste.

Tree in full bloom. Museum Compound, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

2006-04-01T10:16:00.000+05:30

Image_34.jpg
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Just look at this tree! In full bloom, celebrating life! Happy just to be! I see it in its various moods on my morning walks and it always offers something nice to look at. (Click photo to see larger image).

When things look down ....

2005-03-06T13:30:00.000+05:30

There are ups and downs. Sometimes there are only downs. And a few times there are the ups. The point is that you got to keep your head up. Always. Else, with things looking down so will you. And you dont want that. So smile! Have a good laugh at yourself and at your condition. It will do you good and it will get that frown off your face!