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I bought a gift for a friend when I visited India, even though there was a very little chance of meeting. It was a beautiful work, comparable to this.
Lack of time and equipments always keep me at a distance from them. Fortunately the Snow Geese from Russia have migrated to Canada this time, more. I clicked this during my lunch hour on the way to office. Though the camera was not equipped with a larger zoom capacity, I waited for some group to fly closer. And this is a decent shot.
I was sitting at the gallery far away. But as I watched them walking across from the left...I came down and took my position quickly to capture them together. Frame says it all and I love pictures with such frames, that speak even without seeing the faces.
These two came first and so I walked briskly to the finish line as my friend Chaitu had informed me. It is a custom to take the picture of the horse and jockey who came first along with the owner, in the race track. I have not seen anyone so closer who has just won a race. We often hear "he/ she is on top of the world...looking at him you can say "he was on top of his horse".
Now coming back to my short absence from the blog...am on vacation and now in India. Landed here on the 7th & will be here in chennai till 27th September. You can mail me at sujay_sv@yahoo.com and I would be glad to speak to those, who send their contact no's. Currently I'm being fried and roasted with lot of sweat in chennai. It was supposed to be a relatively cold month & since I have chosen this time, the rain Gods have gone on a strike. I have been running around for my visa stuff & 20'C difference in temperature has taken a toll on my system.
But the few smiles that I wanted to see, makes the miles travelled priceless.
Most often it goes out of our limits...but till then everyone is a king/ queen in their own backyard.
Look at the way she is controlling her horse. It's a fabulous sight to see them control it, especially when the horses get excited/afraid...infact the race horses are accompanied by a well trained horse by their side before the race, to keep their head cool. She is riding on one such horse. It requires tremendous strength and control to ride a beast...most importantly, an understanding of the beast.
Wish I could let somethings go out of my control (Rang De Basanti style). There has got to be someone for me (for everyone else too), for I can be controlled by care and not a careless attitude.
Am I a beast too...!
On a frustrated hunger note: Me & my friend were shopping around the whole day today and were quite eager to end our day with 'Goat Biriyani', the best one. We got delayed due to a cashier, who was waiting for some information on a product price. So we missed our bus and had to wait to take the next one. After sometime we reached our destination, crossing another good restaurant on the way, just to hear that no orders would be taken. So we returned back to the one we saw earlier, only to be told by them that they are also closed. 10PM under the beautiful moon, sitting opposite to the same restaurant with hunger is ok. But to stare at the glowing lights & the running letters on the bill board that says "You can eat all for $9.99. Chicken Kebab, Mutton biriyani, Hot Naan, Tandoori chicken, Samosa, Vegetable pulao, Goat Biriyani, Aloo pakoda..." is deeply, seriously frustrating [Try it].
What not and you would not want to know what words were running in my mind...letters were still running outside the closed shutters of the restaurant, as we boarded our bus.
I almost lost my control...
I have felt it with my pet Nemo [Pomeranian breed]. We used to rock our street, am missing him a lot. It’s not possible for me to get a horse now, but definitely looking forward to have a Labrador .
Well I am one among the lot! It was hard to digest for me when I saw the two horses whom I bet on for the very first time, took the first two places...and I was still walking from the place from where I had clicked him when they finished. It was an amazing feeling. For some reason a thought did strike me - my fellow humans, whom I (we) count on let me (us) down many times.
But still I wonder, how can we call - A combination of strength of the marvellous beasts together with the smart & hard working jockeys - FORTUNE! Believe me, you would not be happy to have the diet of a jockey, it really sucks. And they sacrifice so many things just to be on top of their fitness & be light, so that their horse can accelerate quicker. "Sea Biscuit" impressed me immensely and I have been a fan of both the beast and its master since then.
NOTE: If I am asked for one of those snaps that am really satisfied of, it would be Run For It... . It does'nt look that hard but you have only split seconds to get the frame you want [though a bit of fortune is required]. You cannot feel it unless you try. If you have not seen the movie, see it - for it's full of amazing spirit, bond, trust, picturization & strength.
Race is on...and everyone has to run - Win or Lose.
To go to a race has been a desire for many years. When my friend Chitanya invited me to the race I can only accept it as last time could not join him. But then this week has been the worst for me and I required such a break. Infact I had thought of posting a self-portrait, which I had taken a week back. But then I did not want to bore everyone with my pictures.
This picture is one more of those attempts to capture those real moments. It was good to go out on a bright & sunny day and win few dollars (never mind about the loss).
I could read their eyes...some more snaps to come: the horse which won for me, close-ups, Stroll, etc., I admire these beasts for their strength, stamina and determination.
A very ordinary snap...but does'nt it seem like the flower itself is being interviewed...well it's upto the observer. And this is the interesting perpective that I wanted to captivate which I had mentioned in a post sometime back Framed Forever[ ] . I like that show too, though I don't get to see it often. Such interviews really helps get to know people - the taste of the celebrities & their life style.
And I do not prefer to take pictures of peope just like that. I had walked past 30 feet and had to zoom the telephoto lens to its maximum. This kid kept looking at me from the point he saw me. You can't expect me to walk away simply, when I am possessed.
He must have thought...there lies ahead my future and my planet spoiled by these overgrown brats...
I happen to be around all the kids, but still away from my Shana...I had taken couple of close up pictures, when she was 6 months ( my brother flew in from the UK to show her to us and went back) and had it framed in the hall. And my parents were saying when she returned home after a year, she used to point at it and say in her language "adhu naan" - meaning "that's me". My brother is not keen to get it on the web, so can't publish it. But tell you what, those are among the cutest pictures one can see...and the way she was smiling at me, is fresh in my memories.
I found her the name : in Hebrew it means 'Beautiful' - she is and definitely is a darling to me.
Sometime back read in Chinmayee's page - where she mentions about those who do not perform a spell check, before posting. Well, mine is almost like that. I plan to drive off my laziness and type complete words rather than the shorter one's. My likes are my perspectives. And I feel that is applicable to most of us. The stare at a distance says it all.
In other words, the first instinct is to perceive things/ life the way you want it to be. Like a vanilla cake decorated with chocolate cream and flakes - don't have to say about the aroma. But you can neither eat it full nor stop with just tasting the cream.
Too often I see people lost in thoughts, sometimes in mirror too. The irreplaceable vacancies are the ones that helps in realizing the importance of things in life, at some point of time. There are only a few who cherish it; most of us miss the first one [so many things: abstract or vice versa - life has got a bigger picture]. Blame it on time or an individuals taste or destiny.
If loneliness is the only resort in this planet everyone would own an island.
Today: If anyone is keen to know how it feels while am working on my abs or those who are curious to start: Imagine trying to get up - while being stuck on a sticky surface; with air pumps blowing mildly into both the ears; someone is pulling your neck back with a noose around your neck; with a hot coin kept on the chest...not to forget, someone trying to suffocate you by altering the breathing.
To me, innocence is the first thing that comes to my mind, wherever I see it. I have met/ known few nice people who have alwayz been successful in influencing me, to be a better human. At the end of the day, I would like to close my eyes knowing that I have been, what I wanted to be. Next day does not matter to me.
That's what thoughts can do to one...
I believe: the real estate sector, the non-stop signal lights & the ever so idle traffic will take a while to completely erase such serence existences...
...while I don't know what lies ahead of me, there is no thought of stopping the pursuit...for it always makes the journey exciting and adventurous.
