books, a man's best friend...

My first attempt at using a Polaroid camera.

the NYC subway

I have always started this post and somehow left it half written. But today i felt inclined to complete it and so here it goes.

The city where cultural diversity so prominently seen, where you can meet people from any part of the world, that's the city of new york. For me a place is all about the people living there and the perfect venue to see such a conglomeration of people is none other that the new york subway.

Riding in the NYC subways was always something i enjoyed, it said so much about the place, it gave you insights of different cultures, areas, local fashion. I remember vividly how my friend and I were often given odd look because we couldn't stop staring. Everything was amusing and i tried not to keep a my constant gaze on people but there are so many interesting subjects and me being and observer could not let them pass without noticing. I don't know if you have ever seen a person and tried to make a story of who that persona is and where he is from, what he did, i do that sometimes. I often wondered where the person sitting next to me belonged to, how his family would be like, when someone got of a stop i  wondered where he might be heading, whether the guy next to me is a traveller or a resident itself, of how the well dressed lady standing in the corner was so old but so hot and how i wanted to be like her when i grew old, arty people always catch my eye and i try to comprehend what their profession might be. I cannot forget the french beard guy in the weird hat whose mic was connected on the neck and  who sang so well, the group that danced on the 14th street subway station , and the strret dancers that carried their amplifiers with them and break-danced, the gothic girl with her piercings, high platform shoes and red hair from my school and definitely i can never forget the girl wearing the magenta thong on her tights, there was just so much to see so much to notice. So how could you ever be bored in a NYC subways. Well but i often made people uncomfortable; but i couldn't help being flabbergasted because of anything and everything around me. In the NYC subway the glance of the eye controls people, a stern expression is enough for another to understand a persons actions aren't appreciated. And i am sure you would believe me when i say ive gotten many such looks my excuse would be i am an observer, not a weirdo.

I can never forget the feeling i felt when my stop came and when i had to get off  my desire to stay in the train and go in loops just sitting there and riding it for ever. But ya besides all the character, its wide spread network is the reason for functioning of NYC and if for some reason the subways froze the entire city would go crazy not knowing what to do. I missed my NYC subway so much today when it took me forever to reach one place to another. AND NOW I MISS NEWYORK.

Oh Rang Barse......... Holi Hai

Being from India I have always seen so much color around me in the places, the people, clothes, food name anything. In contrast to scenes going dull, grey and lifeless as the cold descends, much like a haunted movie scene. We even have a festival of colors known as Holi that marks the coming of spring. It’s a time to throw off the gloom of the winter adding more color and life just like in nature spring adds liveliness making life more colorful. The great thing about this festival is it gets people from all backgrounds together everyone is covered in colors much like a color palate; it’s truly a uniting experience.
I went to celebrate holi in Stanford this year which is one of the biggest holi celebrations in the bay area.  Also another incredible thing is that all the funds that are collected go towards education of children. Everyone was dressed in old clothes ready to be sprayed with gulaal (color), ready to be a part of the absolute mayhem. It was a riot of colors, I felt like a chameleon changing colors that changed as the people around me changed. As I stepped into the grounds I was attacked by people and was dyed in bright green which then changed from yellow to purple finally I ended coming home like a red tomato. Everyone looked alike, the colors mixed to form just one color in the end, brown much like mud. There was so much happiness around me; my feet tingled with joy. Everyone was high on music, dancing and jumping on the tunes of Bollywood songs, “rang barse” being the highlight of course. Every expression in the crowd was so honest and the smiles pure, there was just so much positivity and inspiration.
I am just sad that I dint take my camera with me with the fear of destroying it, now i feel i should have. But to share the entire experience this is an article came across that has incredible photographs they reverberate the joy. It’s important to also notice how these pictures would definitely make you smile and make you feel the emotions that were experienced by them.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/holi_the_festival_of_colors.html
PS: the only disastrous after effect is my white shirt and socks are pink and shoes went from white to a tone of blue. I don’t care about the clothes but I loved those shoes. 

black it is...

spirals... twists and turns...

my new friend

I have recently decided to start a small shop in etsy so that i could sell the pieces that i have made so far and have been making more with that intention. So for the same purpose my aunt gifted me this cute little basket as it helps me keep my stuff organised. I call this little guy "Rotlu Patel" since it seems to have sadness in his eyes and Patel because i miss the company of the Gujratis i was surrounded by. :) In short its something i do when i miss my friends and i am sad. Atleast creating something new brings a smile back. 

shoe fetish...

The term shoe fetish can often be associated with humor and is even over exaggerated. But the fact is we all love shoes, right? Some love them more than others like my cousin loves Jordan's, his room is a display of the shoes he owns. When i say display i mean serious display he has cabinets where he has displayed about twenty-five pairs of his shoes. He has a shelf above his bed that also has five pairs on them, i make fun of him that they'll fall on your face while your asleep. He loves shoes. So do i, not to that extent though. Shoes are an important part of a girls wardrobe and we can have as many as a hundred but yet be dissatisfied. As for me today i was bored and thought of some interesting photography subject so i picked shoes.

 

  

  

  

 

beatiful rain...

There is nothing as pretty and refreshing as the rain. Its amazing how it transforms people's moods, making them smile. The smell of the wet mud is something i long for, the freshness in the air, the brightness in the colors, everything seems so much more vibrant and full of energy. Have you ever looked up towards the sky and let the rain drops fall onto your face, its a wonderful feeling. Even more fun is when the drop falls on your eye lash, all this brings in a lot of euphoria in me.
Rain has always been an epitome of charged emotions; whether it be love and romance or to hide the tears of sorrow! Also how can i forget the beautiful rainbows.

 

  

How important is the term FRIENDS in your life?

Every person has their own set of people they live by. For me i cannot live without friends, my energy comes from them. I have had the most amazing and memorable times with every one and each of them have an important role to play in my development. When i am with friends i am like a battery that does not get discharged, so full of life and energy. I could easily say i have people who will do anything for me if need be and so will I. As you grow up you meet new people and leave some behind but its the bond that you share with the ones you had to part that's important to me. Definitely this group of friends changes as you move places or start a new phase in life. There was a time when i was an quiet introvert person but as i grew i became an opposite of what i was as a kid. But now that i have changed i cannot live without people; those who share the same interests as me, those who know me can look through me, whom i laugh with and share my life with, the past, present and future. I make friends easily but to find the right people is tough. Now that i have moved from new york i still have'nt made any real friends and its takes half the energy out of me. I wonder how dependent i am and how i would survive if i had to live just by myself.

I miss my friends :(

Help for a cause

Each one of us knows someone who suffers from cancer and is fighting it. I knew a little girl who passed away some time back and all that was left was tears in the eyes of her family; she suffered from blood cancer. Also recently someone close to me has been detected cancer, all i can say as an observer is that their pain is not easy. I cant imagine how your life would turn knowing that you may not be alive for long, it brings a tear in my eye.

A friend of mine is working towards this great cause, last year he collected money that helped funding for cures for cancer. And this year again he has committed himself to it by participating in a Half-IronMan( 1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Miles Cycling, 13 Mile Running). All of individuals on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

Donation link:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/wildtri10/mparbhakar

I hope many can help and make a difference in someones life.