when the rainclouds paused for a while...

There are no rain pictures this week! Because it has been raining incessantly for the past 48 hours or so... So I cant go out and take a rain picture. I cant go out and take a rain picture when its not raining either. Catch 22!

Anyways, there's been this wonderful sight that has been raising my hormone levels whenever I go to drop my sister in college. Naah, its not girls am talking about, I have grown out of it(pretension, nevermind!) Its the lush green paddy fields on the way. So I took a calculated risk, and ventured out with my bike, when the rain seemed shying away for while today afternoon...

I took a deviation from the main road, and I wasn't disappointed at all. There was this narrow pot-holed road lined on either side with trees, and beyond them lay the vast expanse of green green paddy fields.

***click on the images to enlarge


Two women were cutting grass to feed cattle. They would have made a pretty picture. I contemplated walking upto them and asking for a picture. But then, they began eying me suspiciously. And I suddenly realized that something has upset the fine balance of this perfect calmness here, and it was nothing but me, in my bright red T shirt and bike, with the camera... duh! I dropped the idea and backed out.


Walking around clicking pictures of totally unsuspecting subjects sounds like a good idea. Only thats it is tough to put it into practice. I walked around, totally lost in the beauty of the place around me and having confronted with the problem of plenty. Timidness too, if you insist.

There is something with red clothes and cattle. Bullfights and matadors come to mind, but, here, it was a harmless buffalo, who seemed intimidated (or maybe just irritated) by all the sudden attention. I hung around until it began bellowing.


And yeah, my parked bike looked absolutely gorgeous amidst all the greenery. Won't you agree?



And before I sign off, here's another attempt at creating an HDR. This one from the office parking-lot again...

monsoon musings - 2

Friday: This was taken in office, on Friday, just after I got into the car, relieved to have pushed one more week aside. This is my office building, all drenched in rain. Looks beautiful doesn't it? If you are being subjective about it...



Today: The rain is arresting today... quiet literally!I remember someone saying something about the rythmic beat of the rain... No its not the normal pace that you're talking about... the rythm of the rain, starting.... getting stronger, then waning out into a drizzle, then heavy showers accompanied by winds.. and then calm for a while... That rythm. I've been meaning to go out and try some shooting this weekend, but somehow, found myself confined to home again..


Another day perhaps... I have a few more weeks before I leave this place.. and the monsoon is just about getting into its groove..

monsoon musings...

Am back! Yeah back again. I wanted to make a series on the monsoon. Yes. monsoon in Kerala. With pictures. Thats where the rub is...

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It wasn't raining when I woke up. There was a queer silence around. I strolled outside... Yes it had rained yesterday for sure. But I cant hear the toads anywhere.. Where have they all gone? Perhaps they've already found their mates. And don't want to be disturbed on a rainy morning, from their sleeps, from the cozy comfort of having their loved one near.. Toads!!

So here's one to start off...

***** click on the pictures to enlarge*****

The 'chembila' as it is called. Used to double up as umbrellas for school-children caught unawares by a sudden drizzle without warning. That would make a great shot, if I could get one.



This is the June- 2nd week moss. Very adolescent. Very soon, this guy will start sprouting little shoots red and green in color with little bulb-like thingy's in the tip. We used to play duals with those. The red one was feared all over. The big dark green one, with a red tip used to be nasty. But there used to be days when a lean mean simpleton green would steal the day, and make a fortune for someone! That was another age!

Here's another version of the moss!

It was amazing, to see life taking every opportunity to flourish, every little inch of space being taken. The sole objective of life is, to exist. To come into being. It will find the ways and means in the most unlikeliest of circumstances..

The whole place had become green so soon, with shrubs and weeds and all sorts of little insects.. I took a step and suddenly a swarm of mosquitoes rose, attacking me all over. I spotted this -->


..and wondered...The thing(vazhakkoombu) must have fallen before the weed grew over it. And it couldn't have been here for more than a night, it looked somewhat fresh. So the weed grew within a few hours time. Things are happening pretty fast over here. Monsoon is like big-city-madness in these parts. Suddenly the vision of a buzzliing starwars city came to my mind, mosquitoes being the airborne pods zooming past and all sorts of activities happening in the ground below..The murky world of bacteria and other malicious creatures..whoa!


Am sure you all have seen this somewhere, at least in a dream. (To the male readers only) A beautiful girl, after taking bath... water droplets scattered on her face... and a couple of strands of wet hair sticking together, and fallen over her eyes. Suddenly takes you to somewhere doesn't it??



And then the sun began peeking out from behind the clouds, and the droplets shone like luminous crystals. Time for me to go. One more and I am off for today.