altered experiences

Today my philosophy professor with some connections talked about sensory isolation chambers that are designed for sensory deprivation that has a deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses.

Scientists estimate that up to 90% of the brain's normal workload is caused by the effects of routine environmental stimulation the combined effects of gravity, temperature, touch, light and sound on the muscles, nervous system and sense organs of the body. The float tank screens out these external physical stimuli, creating a pure state of "sensory" relaxation.

In my undergraduate study my hostel had girls who were deaf and i often wondered how they were not able to listen to sounds like the mellifluous chirping of birds, the gushing of ocean waves, music. Even th very thought of such a think made a bead of sweat trickle down my brow and i shuddered by the mere thought of me being in their shoes. Also it was interesting to see two such people have a conversation they talked they smiled they shared everything often just by expressions, their eyes did a lot of work as well.

I remember vividly of another instance where i saw a young child about the age of five who was blind and i couldn't help myself from crying seeing the plight of the young one. The blind have a world which is a black void that is endless and dimensionless with no color what so ever. Even today if i think about a life in which i cannot see anything i dont know if i could survive , if i dint know what red is like, i dint know how my mother looks, how beautiful it is to see someone smiling, what a tear is like, or see any expressions, landscapes, the rainbow, flowers, the very thought kills me and makes me remorse. Linking this thought to the isolation chamber where you are deprived of sight, sound, smell, touch , taste and even gravity i wonder what would be my state of mind. Initially my thoughts would go crazy not knowing what to think and how to react. They would go hay-wire and i would reach a state of delirium or the silence could expand into seemingly infinite dimensions — vast as a galaxy.

On some level I will feel the storm of thought pulling my feelings and shifting my moods, often toward the negative and then you would need to gain control over the errant mind. Also the mind begins to unfold in all kinds of unexpected and fascinating ways. This is often when a lot of great ideas can come to you that could be radical to your life.

For now i really don't know how this will actually affect me but i do hope i get a chance to do this once in my lifetime and see the potential in me and try to thrive with it. Well that's just hope.

Ps: It is the same feeling that some people gain by lsd but that should not be tried.

craziness+fancydress-thats halloween

Halloween and the tradition of illogical dressing. I went to a Halloween costume store last year and all you could find are costumes made of cheap fabric and fits, that are unimaginative, and often offensive to one group or another. They are shinny fat suits, black make-ups, wigs red, blue and green, many fictitious characters, demons and the ugliest individuals that you can find.

New york Halloween parade is one gigantic event that happens in new york and a place to witness all the craziness that can be. Bodacious males parading around in long wigs and gigantic fake breasts, because that’s there idea of a woman, without much care for how the people they imitate may feel. But more often you see costumes that play on stereotypes, or fantasies, and allow people to become someone they normally wouldn’t be. Girls in particular can be seen going out of the way to do what can be called "slutting it up" and embracing the inner hooker in them just because it was Halloween, whatever that means. In many cases, on Halloween women readily objectify themselves, men become sleazy archetypes as well. I don't think i could ever take this scantily clothed route and wear such outfits also as i still don't know how to respond to that.

Does this mean Halloween is the day when everything unacceptable and typically considered crass is acceptable? Or is this day about the immorality that is itching to be released ?

I guess sometimes things just are what they are. If you don’t like it, and look away or look at the brighter things but you have to play along. Personally i enjoy this day a lot because of the craziness though just hoping the craziness would be more towards creativity than the weirdness. It seems like a big fancy dress show or a play organized, a stage where every person has a role to play that is equally important. But one thing that i really appreciate about this day is the spirit of individuals and their willingness to participate in this feat, be it young, teen or old. So i hope each one of you had a great Halloween and as for me i became a bird of paradise, nothing big just something small i made in an hours time out of kite paper. But it dint last long since it rained in NYC on Halloween and the feathers got all wet and soaked and had to be shed away.

when a dress speaks

WHEN EVERY DRESS CALLS OUT LOUD "PURCHASE ME".

A dress by Heidi Elizabeth Rodriguez
Working with paper and much more!

hues-red+yellow+gold

A year has flown by, seems like yesterday that I was in the central park trying to capture dramatic and evocative images of this time of the year. I had experienced nothing like it before back home, in India. It’s October again, the scenery is a colored palette with hues of reds and yellows.

I got up rather early today morning and I could not go back to sleep. I looked outside the window it stillwas dark and raining lightly but I could still see the red tree in the corner of my building as the street light spread its light onto it. There was a nip in the air mixed with the smell of wet soil that stirred my senses and urged me to go down. I waited a little so it got a little brighter and walked down the lane with an umbrella since it was still drizzling. The droplets of water falling from the leaves, the flowers, the dry leaves on the ground, the red hues, the seeds, the little chirping of birds, the ripples in the water by the droplets of rain every small little thing seemed so much more to me, making me stop about twenty times in a stretch of thirty feet. I was sure people thought I was crazy but I was so caught up in the moment and in a world of my own, seemed so much like Alice in wonderland.

The leaves floated in the atmosphere as the surges of wind blew, bringing them to the ground. Seemed so much like petals of flowers showered onto me by the almighty as he wanted to make me feel happy, loved and most importantly special. The crooked shapes of the branches stood out more in contrast to the bright leaves and sky. Also i realized the best way to appreciate fall foliage is by looking up. When leaves are backlit by the sun their golds and reds looked even brighter than the whole tree at a distance also i could hear the crunching of the leaves as people stepped onto them adding more sensation to the present scene.

But i fear that pleasant sight will soon seem haunted. It's been raining here for what seems to be forever. Soon all that is left dangling the tree branches would be a few of those the plain and sometimes pale leaves of yellows and browns. The branches will stand naked as the wind washes off its envelope. On flip side of things I also feel the season of no color and white landscape has another spectacle to it, rendered by the white snow much like a beauty of black and white picture.

All of it is too wonderful for me. My heart sings when I consider the extent of God's creative ability.

favorite things + moments

The sweetest birthday gifts. A plant with touches of red and pink flowers and the lens with which um taking this picture..... two things that would foster my enthusiasm towards life and capturing life.

It was absolutely wonderful of my roomies who organized a surprise party and even sweeter f everyone who came and shared my happy moment.

A womans classic line

A womans classic line " nothing to wear".

I am sure every female here has some time or the other been frantically running around in her bedroom half naked with heaps of clothes that belong to the wardrobe lying everywhere except where they belong. And this is because her problem is she has nothing to wear.

A piece of advice to everyone, believe us when we say this as we actually don't have anything or at least that's what we feel then. This is also why we are late at parties or anywhere we are going. Such days happen to us frequently, ranging from a nothing to wear week to a nothing to wear month. But the panic strikes us mostly right before a party and often we resort to instant shopping but waking up next morning with a plethora of options we could have worn the night before.

Oh God i often wonder why don't these options dawn upon us at the time needed. But deep rooted is a happiness of shopping that most girls live for.

I am sure anyone who has been around a woman has always heard this one line and you must have wondered of how many clothes she had, knowing her well. And being a woman i am sure each one of you must have had such days despite clothes oozing out of your wardrobe every time you open the door.

But we all need to swallow this bitter fact that we are girls and will always remain so and me myself being the biggest example of one such person who has "NOTHING TO WEAR".

lights+sweets+flowers+colors- thats Diwali

Yay Diwali is here.

The view of diyas and light sparling in every house. The twinkling flames, the beautiful lanterns spreading colored light in hues of red, green and yellow. The flower petals carefully organized in beautiful patterns - "a rangoli" are my favorites. This view of the Indian cities is a spectacle. Its a time everyone is celebrating in ways of their own. Oh i miss this view.

Also since i belong to Amritsar there is one view that is embedded in my memory as the most spectacular view on Diwali and that is of the GOLDEN TEMPLE. This is a time the golden temple is covered with lights and the reflection of the lights in water in the pool is breath taking. I still remember sitting there soaking the atmosphere which was filled with lights, crackers, the chanting of the sacred book and people dressed in beautiful outfits that added bright colors to the entire picture making it just perfect. So i strongly recommend everyone to experience this demonstration if you get a chance and u will remember it for a lifetime.

Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated by almost every Indian though for different reasons in every religion.

So here are some wishes that go out to the world.

For happiness. Good health. For smiles. For wisdom. For kindness. For faith. For giving. For reflection. For time. For life. And for living.

Happy Diwali people.

International Literacy Day - Kala Akshar Bhains Barabar

I was shown this picture by one of my friends and i really liked the idea behind this poster and i think its a great attempt towards illiteracy in india.

"Kala Akshar Bhains Barabar" - It's an old saying in Hindi which means a black alphabet is equal to a buffalo but it still seem's so true and accurate for those who are illiterate. This image is itself self-explanatory yet humorous with a Question mark (? )...

But i think its very important that we realize that 40 percent of the population of India is illiterate? I think we should give this a deep thought and being an Indian, we have to unite and "Help fight illiteracy in India"

P.S. My favorite "NACHTI BHAINS"

Remember the water is rising......

A Great effort by a Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo that speaks of urgent matters that threaten our existence on this planet.

The installation aimed to create a realization amongst the people about global warming and its outcome. Her art piece had numerous small ice men that sat on the steps of squares that melted away on a hot afternoon. The installation lasted about 30 minutes leaving behind just water trying to verbalize that the glaciers are melting away at the same rate.

That’s a lot of work to watch melt away, but at least her message created an impression in the minds of the people and an effort not in vain.

P.S.: The melting ice will eventually cause sea levels to rise more than 3.3 feet (1 meter) by 2100.

PHANTOM KI DIBIYA

My first blog entry dedicated to my childhood love whose presence during the nitty gritties of life has made my feelings for it die hard. "Meri pyaari phantom cigarette”.

My fascination for this brand of smoke is very deep rooted. I remember smoking it in my college days. Oh I remember those days as it were yesterday, when one smoke would be enough to relieve all stress, as if the smoke took away all the fears and the burning tip would incinerate every evil. Those were the unforgettable days.
But today in the era of Mars and ferrero rochers and zillion other options Phantom is losing its identity and cannot be found ordinarily in the market. As for me my want for them makes me know exactly where I can find one.

Staying with a graphic designer I guess she would have a lot to critic upon on the packaging, I am sure she would say”god there cannot be anything worse”. But there is a nostalgia associated to it that drives you to those times of life when u were unaware of anything, where all u were bothered about were little things like phantom and picnic. Those were the times that everyone wants to relive and phantom helps you relive and re smoke a part of your childhood. The only cigarette sticks whose sweetness gives you a taste of childhood. Have a fag and u won’t forget it forever.

Everyone has their own favorite smokes but my all time favorite “phantom”. I will never forget you my dear phantom cigarette or “Phantom sugarettes” as my friend calls them.

PS.: one consequence of this smoke - diabetes.