ramya's photo journal

Category: journeys

Be.

“By daily dying, I have come to be.”

~ Theodore Roethke

I’ve been thinking about sharing some outtakes and actual shots from some of my commissioned work on the blog. About time. The image above is an outtake from a series done in Sri lanka for a client in hospitality. Photographed at Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara. A stunning Buddhist temple which is a part of a 1000 + year old monastic complex near Bentota.

On a different note –

I usually share images and notes that resonate at a particular time and with no particular reason. There is a method to this randomness, which might just be a simple feeling, a pull, an instinct. This monk and this frame have stayed with me the last few day, as I spend a few quiet weeks far from where this photograph was taken. There are always messages to these things and I do my best to read them. And sometimes share them.

April 30, 2014
Eating & Loving in a City of Joy
We constantly seek and find comfort in people, places, spaces, memories and so on, consciously or subconsciously. San Francisco is one such connection for me. It’s a city I’ve come to truly love and appreciate for it’s free spiritedness that is infused all around in varying degrees. Over the last two years, I’ve been splitting my time between Bangalore and SF – due to the nature of R’s work at the moment – and it’s been such a lovely opportunity to get to know another city intimately. We’ve stayed in at least four neighbourhoods and I’ve explored the city happily on foot and by local trains. There’s something so endearingly childlike about SF, as if the artist within is unafraid to play. Doesn’t that sound like the freedom we yearn for ? Maybe that’s why the resonance.
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valencia st, mission
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The whole maybe greater than the sum of it’s parts, but when exploring a place, that couldn’t be further away from the truth. It’s the little lanes and hidden nooks, forgotten graffitis, hidden notes inside aging books that quietly tell the real stories. And so, there’s a magical little locally owned bookstore by name of Dog Eared books located in the heart of Mission which does exactly that. I spent hours buried in a mountain of carefully curated books, while admiring the charming touches of quirkiness and quaintness evident throughout the place, much like the city itself.
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dog eared escapades
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There’s a precious collection of Antiquarian books and I found a gorgeous copy of an 1870 edition of HW Longfellow poems for a friend. The telling sign of goodness at any bookshop is usually tucked away in the less conventional sections. There’s an aisle dedicated for the Noir genre alone. And there’s lots of SF Noir to be found there. Goes without saying, but there are a couple of carefully curated out aisles – among the first few in fact – dedicated to LGBT and sexuality, replete with some antiquarian selections even !
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a corner of quiet joy
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Just how does time pass like that in a bookshop ? Or maybe it doesn’t and just is. There’s a book trilogy that goes by the title ‘Forgotten cemetery of books’ by author Carlos Ruiz Zafon that comes to my mind as we speak. All the plots lead to labyrinths of ancient libraries, book mazes et al. I wouldn’t mind finding myself in a similar plot. My hardworking imaginative head does wander to see if quaint bookshops have hidden labyrinths stowed away mysteriously. And then, just like that, I know that I need to get myself a coffee, wake up and finish my errands :) But I hold on to the wanderings and always will. In an era where books are no more than a pieces of digital files, bookshops like these are treasure troves that infuse the romance back into real bookshelves. I can’t wait to go back to Dog Eared and get lost again. Surface, get a coffee, and scour for other haunts.
Between bookshops and other daily adventures, eating is not just a simple daily need but one that is sacrosanct. I love my Indian food, but once the traveler shoes are on, I’m craving just about everything else. That’s not too much, is it ? Oysters are usually up on the everythingelse list, and this time around, and on my 31st birthday, we made it to Swan Oyster Depot, after having given up on half-a-mile-long waiting lines, last two times.
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                                                    swan oyster depot
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I might add that while I was a happy camper at Swan, somehow the mystery of the super long lines remains unresolved. After having done some reasonable Oyster tasting over the years, I thought this wasn’t exactly above all else though it was really good, particularly the Kumamotos. The seafood chowder was apparently divine, the partner said. And I noted steaming bowls being supped on by almost every other diner. So perhaps therein lies the Swan secret ? And, the family that runs surely add to the charm and warmth. Sometimes, that really does make it all worth it. no ?
After having dined and lunched and brunched fairly well in the city, a little hole in the wall tucked away in Cole valley called Zazie got my heart. What’s not to fall in love with a place where warm wooden tables are filled with freshest of local abundance ? Zazie is tiny in size but glorious in the warmth it exudes in the food, staff, the loud cacophony of conversations and most of all, simplicity. This is where the several-star rated places fail. In keeping the food simple (read uncomplicated), the surroundings unpretentious.
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zazie, warmth and...
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long conversations...
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I love the French inspired Californian fare at Zazie. They have beautiful brunches with the best blueberry pancakes and the poached eggs cannot be more perfect. Their secret pancake flour is also available for sale in small batches.
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bacon bacon !
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And sometimes, usually on Sunday mornings a bacon craving sets in like a strong current and one such day, the we followed the current to a cute little bacon ONLY cafe called BaconBacon in Ashbury. Not only are you met with the mouthwatering aromas of the cafe’s namesake commodity but also a crazy impatience to harass the staff to dish out one of the ‘bouquets’ which essentially mean a tasting bacon bunch. Yum. I’m never going to be able to forget the pepper crusted strip of bacony goodness. Needless to say, every.single.thing on the menu and otherwise is bacon or derivative thereof. I didn’t blink an eyelid when grabbing the much coveted jar of the signature bacon jam (so good!) or for that matter even the bacon flavoured toothpaste for my bacon worshipping brother-in-law.
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persimmon love of the season
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Did I mention we also cook a lot more when in SF ? it just somehow happens more organically. I suppose when in India, there’s so much more work related stuff that as much as I want to cook, I give in to the lame excuse of being tired or just get lazy. There’s also one other thing, however. The local farmers markets. These are big on inspiration and the smallest one is good enough to incite even a noncook to have a go. I wish we had more farmers markets here in homeland. We do have those, but I mean in a more organized, accessible-to-all kinda local produce amalgams. R & I go on farmers market overdrive when in SF. This is where our staple shopping happens and we get totally greedy on greens, sourdoughs, cheeses, fruit, eggs and honey. After the initial greed is dealt with, we get more greedy on lapping up beer and some delish and no frills truck food. Given that we are more than normal eaters, we try hard to earn the ticket to sin by way of good long runs, by the piers, or R’s favourite running track by the Marina. One of the things I miss most about the US when in India, is being able to run outdoors.
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fort mason farmer's market
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We were living in the Marina district last time around and so, very close to the historic Fort Mason port which has beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alcatraz. Fort Mason, aside from being a former US army post (for over 100 years) and a historic landmark, is also a cultural/convention center. Lots of art festivals, artist meets, markets happen here, and there was a really nice Women Crafter’s Festival which I could go to, last time around and also the super fun Bark and Whine ball – fundraiser organized by San francisco SPCA for homeless dogs, the very best of it’s kind and educational in it’s own right, given that dogs are among the greatest loves of my life.
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homemade fruit sodas & lavender
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edible flowers & rainbow chard
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brenda's french soul food; craftsman & wolves
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Many a weekday nights when work (my work tends to follow me everywhere i go) would precedence over experimenting in the kitchen for my favourite lab rat, R., we’d head over to Roam to grab a beautiful artisan burger and then make a quick dash to our favouritest bar in the city – the Alembic on Haight street.
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the alembic
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Nothing I say here will do justify our obsession of this little gem of a spot. I’m sure the boys here know how to get the old fashioned right the way nobody else can. So I rest my case. :) oh, and those blistered Shishito peppers touched with a dash of EVOO and coarse sea salt. What can I say. Somewhat like Alembic, ambience wise, but just as spunky and stylishly rustic is Trick Dog tucked away deep in Mission. We didn’t quite haunt it as much as the former, but loved the vibe and the super creative cocktails. How does Olive Oil Martini sound for a start ? It really was exquisite. On a separate note, there’s such a charm to tucked away, rustic-industrial spaces and there a many of these to be found SF. Maybe it’s a style I’m drawn to but it surely but it’s good to see that our design sensibilities are moving away from the over crowded, embellished victorian madness to the contemporary rustic with an old world charm still intact. Like the Bluxome street winery below. A beautiful, sprawling winery that makes incredibly good Pinot Noirs among others – all on site. We kind of stumbled on this place, but I have no doubt we’ll be going back!
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bluxome street winery
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Another restaurant which charms exactly as I have just described above is Piccino in the Dog Patch neighbourhood. So chic, small, warm and wonderful.The Burrata or the Buffalo mozzarella salad maybe my favourite ever salad given that I am not really into salads. Give me a smoothie any day! Anyhow, this just maybe the very best Burrata salad on the west coast, or so I have heard from fellow SF foodies. I love that the drinks at Piccino are served in lovely little mason jars and would also blame these beauties for enticing an already drunk girl into more sin. The artisan ravioli tossed in some beautiful truffle oil still has my heart.
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piccino
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There is one place however, where we choose to abstain from alcohol. That place is called Lavash in the Outer Sunset district. Persian and unbelievably well made food. We’d fool ourselves about going to Lavash on the pretext of “eating healthy” (apparently by sticking with just the kebabs) but obviously that cannot be. As I’ve suggested, the beef kebabs might kill you. They are that good. As are the signature stews and the most exquisite pistachio-rosewater icecream like a big juicy cherry on top. Again, coming from someone not so crazy about icecream – that P&S icy creaminess is a trip to heaven and back. Over time, we’ve figured out that Lavash will be a place to aim for only when we’ve earned the opp to binge shamelessly.
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lavash (top left)
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Alongside Lavash, our other favourite Asian food (read binge) place is Betelnut on Union street in Cow Hollow. Classic with a gentle twist. Perfect and sweet. If a restaurant can get their Roti canai right then I’ll give them full marks. But only if they are well equipped with happy, friendly bartenders as Betelnut does. Happy bartenders always make me happy. And they are a strangely comforting sight, no doubt.

As you see, I can and will go on if not for time constraints at the moment. In this SF essay thus far, I have tried hard to condense as much as I could and as they say, less is more. Despite all the subtractions, it looks like I’ve ended up with a 1700 plus word post so I’m far from the less is more idea :) But I had to share my love of this city, spill it out and share away before it overflows and slips into the bad box of unspoken love. I trust those of you visting will find mostly good suggestions here in this post, and here. If you have suggestions for me, please chime in as I have an upcoming trip to my favourite city.
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a view of alcatraz from fort mason
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a glorious morning at fort mason 

and my favourite kinda day at a favourite kinda place - dog beach at crissy field
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I will be back with a third installment of my SF food etc chronicles in a few months. This time perhaps I will touch a bit more on the non edibles as well. :)

x, ramya
March 27, 2014
One Seattle Weekend.

One early April weekend. A gloomily romantic, mysteriously wet city enthralled my senses. I’m for the most part a gloomy-weather person, so you see it was naturally appealing. Anyhow, a post from April popping up now ? Because I tend to lose track of time and am terribly afflicted by a vice called procrastination. Hmmm, okay, it’s also a moment thing. You know when you think, let me post these, like, now ?

So, back to this lush, wet, grey city S.

It was a two day thing, but I know I want to go back. A short span visit, in my head, also means eat-as-much-as-you-can-before-you-leave. So we did some meticulous restaurant exploring. The crisp simplicity of the culinary finesse, in general, blew my mind. Farm to table in the every sense of the word. Simple, fresh, exuding the essence of local bounties of the surrounding hills and the Pacific.

If you have one weekend in Seattle and love your oysters as I do, then head straight to Walrus & the Carpenter. For the O’s and to break some gorgeous loaves over some gorgeous wine. Follow with the Mejool dates lightly brushed with sea salt and luxuriously warm EV Olive oil. Yes, it is as sensuous as it sounds :)

We headed to the Pike Place Market the next day, after lunching with some friends. To just soak up some of the local energy. PP might be touristy, but it is one special congregation of tourists, locals, urban monuments, native American art, color, texture, moisture and the sweet-pungent local market air mixed with the aromas of fresh coffee grinds. The greyness doesn’t seem to be a deterrent at all, rather it does indeed add to PP’s eclectic, moody atmosphere. Effervescent local sellers, glistening produce, heady smells, the buzz….what’s not to love ? As usual, there’s always the occasional connection with a beautiful stranger or two :)

Plenty of aimless walking, street combing, and running-for-refuge-from-the-chills later, we hopped into some bars, dripping and cold, for some wonderful live music to warm up to, because the next day there was only one thing we could do after all the merrymaking. To eat a little more before heading back home. And so we dined at Spinasse. This was and will be one of the most special Italian meals I’ve ever enjoyed. I won’t go into the details of the fare but will suffice to say that the place somewhat defined my experience of Seattle itself. Unpretentious, crisp, intimate and so very elegantly rustic.

October 28, 2013
A Love Note.

Despite the whirlwind that this year has been, I have found my moments to dwell in and romance my favourite season.

These were photographed during a recent family weekend in Coorg. On my iphone, since I decided to go sans my dearest loyal companionbeast (the SLR) for a change :) The companionbeast and I are back together now. On assignment in a tropical paradise where the monsoon has been eluding me.

I am sure we’ll have our moments. I feel it.

August 15, 2013
Of Ocean, Land and Sky

“Is not the pastness of the past the more profound, the more legendary, the more immediately it falls before the present ?”

~ Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

So much to say, yet nothing flows. Funny, the last couple of weeks of photographing by the/in the ocean seem so long gone. It was on assignment and just in a matter of days I had gone from being completely terrestrial to a mermaid (well, sort of :) deep in the turquoise waters of the Indian ocean. Even touched some clouds, in the process, I might add. In all honesty, some milestones happened and fears overcome. I realized I liked not belonging anywhere but to be everywhere.

When I'm ready, I'll share more from the earth-water-sky days ! :) Be back shortly with another edition of the super long-pending San Francisco and Seattle foodie moments.

July 8, 2013
This View.

And I am here now. Far from this view but happily at home with my puppies. New projects await and the mangoes too.

Like the view above and how it would manifest so differently in the light of each day, my state of mind too seems to be straddling very different worlds every so often, especially over the last one year. As they say change is the most constant thing and I have come to believe that it is a valuable thing to embrace and enjoy. As enriching as it is, living between two very different scenarios is a touch unsettling, at least for me. It’s a very small price though for the life lessons and education that come with it.

So here I am now. Far from this view but I can see it still.

April 26, 2013
From here & now.

March 27, 2013
Blues and Random Thoughts.

“Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again”

– L Frank Baum

…and wonder at how fresh those citrus hues look against the blues

…or catch the tingling aroma of street food and watch how it colours the air with it’s steam

and then stop to greet this patiently waiting basket…

and the dispersed petals about to join the winds of change.

It’s ironic that I have so much to say here, but feel completely blank once I start a new post. It’s not a rut for sure, but a blankness that comes with being overwhelmed by life’s potpourri in general – but in a good way. That heavy, heady blend of joy, confidence, sadness, love, creative flow, and fear.

So. on another note, I was surprised to see how many images of blue had found their way into my computer. Mostly from strolls in the mountain markets while scouring for fresh produce – sights and smells thereof. Like the fiery reds of the Indian summer, I like to think that these blues correspond with the Indian winter, which, I am savouring completely at the moment.

November 27, 2012
I Heart San Francisco.

It was that devil procrastination that made me take so long to un-draft this post. It’s been sitting pretty waiting to be posted and some finishing touches. But then the excuses came along (real ones, I swear). And the delay of our beloved monsoon has been fairly disquieting too. I’m sure it’s on everybody’s mind. So odd to go through the w-h-o-l-e of June with just drizzles, no ?

It’s been two months almost since San Francisco, and the time that has whizzed past has been a whirlwind of assignments, local travels and now I’m getting ready to go back to the lovely SF for a few weeks again. And before I snap away for another edition of my SF blog post it seemed right to post the FIRST one first :) So what follows is a photo essay of a few quick glimpses from a really interesting SF food trail. Hope it inspires you all to have a weekend filled with lots of good food, drinks and happiness.

Vietnamese at Bun Mee. A cuisine I love for how it marries the garden fresh with zingy lemongrass, basil & fishsauce.

Simple strolling, a few hours of work(mostly post for the shoots completed here), making little sketches and notes, cooking or wolfing down good food and laughing with my husband and the hearty San Franciscans we met. My days in San Francisco were mostly like this with some hiking on the weekends. If I factor in the unpredictable wet days, then the strolling was replaced by people-watching from within a warm cafe or a wine bar.

What struck me about the food scene in San Francisco is the almost bohemian spirit of free flowing fusion of world cultures. The element of art ever present in the food as it is in most other things here. The chefs are artists who seek the local farmers to create the soulful food and the farmers seek the chefs in return with fine, nurtured produce from within a small radiuses of the city. The food experience at Outerlands was one of my favourites and it captures this essence well.

just-out-of-the-oven Outerlands loaf with big chunks of the divine artisan-made Pianoforte cheese.

San Francisco is a ‘big little city’ in a sense that it’s sea of global food experiences are packed into a fairly small area. Californians pride themselves on their culture of using freshly prepared food with local ingredients and in San Francisco this is particularly pronounced with an added international flair. There’s also some respite from the fast food chains and monstrous supermarkets because alternate choices are plentiful and have their place. This was obviously my big draw to the city’s vibrant and cultivated food culture. Given the San Franciscans’ love of harmony and green living, several eateries feature thoughtfully prepared vegetarian, vegan and healthy eating options. Every other thinkable food request is accommodated with a smile in most restaurants and it was always made me happy to see the strong inclination towards sustainable eating in almost every place we visited. Nopalito for one is a great sustainable Mexican eatery.

San Francisco boasts of some amazingly authentic Mexican Taquerias all over and particularly in the Mission district such as the cultish La Taqueria which are hard to go wrong with and serve up the perfect little Taco. Nopalito delivers it to perfection with a tad more imagination and if you go there in the daytime there’s always golden SF sunshine streaming through, accompanying the Margaritas.

Fermented rice salad at Burma Superstar – a real STAR

A food lover’s life involves a vicious cycle of compulsive recurring hunger and the only fix is to eat to keep that belly quiet. I have no complaints because that’s how one gets to the next house of gastronomic delight. We’d heard of Burma Superstar which as the name suggests is hugely popular, and particularly for it’s Tea Leaf Salad. It was too enticing not to try so we braved the long wait times and jumped in. It’s rather odd that we travel the oceans accumulating big carbon footprints to eat food that is actually from your neighbourhood ? I totally enjoyed the Americanized Burmese fare as I do with Desi Chinese and would go back for the fermented rice salad.

The once-a-month open air Treasure Island Flea…I loved it for the world market-y vibe.Hundreds of Local artisans participate with their creations, homemade goodies, handmade soaps, and vintage everything – clothing, jewelry and you name it and it’s there at the Treasure Island Flea. It is one of those places that reflects the true spirit of it’s beloved city – unpretentious, freespirited and eclectic.

Plenty of San Francisco food trucks find their way here and it’s a happy sight to watch the people, kids and their pets strolling lazily wondering what should make it into their bellies.

One may think that the time spent in San Francisco may not be complete without a dash to the wineyards. But what if all the wine makers of California gathered under one roof offering wine tastings where you can also buy on the spot. The San Francisco Vintners Market is exactly that and seemed a rather commensurate option given our time constraints.

Winemakers from California and across the country come together during this wine Mecca that happens twice a year at the vast Ft. Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion in San Francisco. We were lucky to have been there right in time for the Spring time festival and learned of it thanks to a local friend.

Honestly I wasn’t prepared for the magnitude of the gathering. 4000 people or thereabouts had merged seamlessly into the deafening buzz of the chatter, clinking glasses and infectious wine laden energy. Similar to farmers markets, it allows consumers to sample the wines on display and buy them on the spot.

This is has to be the best opportunity for the wine connoisseur to taste wines flowing from the estates of America’s most famous winemakers to the boutique wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley and other regional wineries plus imported wines from around the world. We lasted here about two hours and took the happy heady state straight into some oyster savouring at the Waterbar on Embarcadero.

The local Oysters at Waterbar were outstanding to say the least with the crisp, ice cold California Chardonnay to finish off each bite.

smells, sights and sounds near the Ferry building farmer’s market.

A short walk further up from Waterbar and along the Embarcadero is the Ferry building and the single biggest reason to go there is the incredibly famous expansive Ferry building farmer’s market. Breathtaking arrays of San Franciscan artisan food, and every kind of fresh produce imaginable show up at the market and it is near impossible to come home empty handed from this treasure house. Having said that, San Francisco is not short on farmer’s markets and almost every neighbourhood has its own little one. We had a local farmers market close to home and I always found some gorgeous produce to stock up the fridge amply.

UN plaza farmer’s market was also lovely set against the backdrop of the iconic SF building.

We were staying on upper Fillmore street, near California Avenue where a boulevard of lovely boutiques, farmers markets and restaurants are happily situated. I had ‘my’ zones of gastronomic contentment in the wholesome sandwich bars, the cozy Boulangeries, the neighbourhood bar Harry’s for the dirty Martinis and sweet potato fries, and particularly the tucked away gem of a wine bar called Fat Angel for the outstanding selection of wines and lean-but-mean menu(the way I like it). I literally lived between home and these places gazing into the blurring streets, taking long strolls between a meal and a coffee and savouring my minutes against time in a city that I could easily call home.

Fillmore street also happens to be the Jazz capital of San Francisco with lots of really talented artists–right from the famous to up and coming–performing in the neighbourhood almost every evening.

If there’s a city in the world that embraces the collective spirit of it’s diverse ethnicities, it has to be San Francisco. There’s a certain openness in the air of this big little city which one can almost always sense in the first few days of being there. The famous sights and sounds aside what stands out is this openness in the city’s warm embrace, laidback sunshine, colourful people and the food of course. You can understand why I am more than happy to go back. If only transporting my puppies was simpler. Sigh.

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

PS : Most of these photographs were shot with a 50 mm 1.8/f. A little project I gave myself to see how far one lens can go and I am not done yet.

July 13, 2012
Art, Food & New York

I've hopped over from the sweltering Indian summer to a blossoming North American Spring…And quite likely I'll see more of the transitioning of seasons on two continents this year :) Just so happens that R's (my other half) work needs him to spend equal amounts of time between homeland and California. So I'll pop in for a few weeks each season. I'm so so lucky to be able to do this and also carry my work with me as I go. I only wish my dogs could come as well. They are however in the greatest of care back home and I'm going to make the most of my time here before I go back to them end of the month.

We had to make a quick stop in New York enroute to San Francisco. In the two days there, I greedily walked my way through the streets soaking up as much of the city's energy as I could. And ate lots of course ! Ate. Walked. Saw. Two days of just these three things.

Simple, hearty New York breakfast is the best fuel for a long day of walking and absorbing.

There were a couple of fantastic exhibits at the MoMa. One by Cindy Sherman which was breathtaking, shocking and intriguing. And an awe inspiring exhibit of murals depicting New York in the 1930's by an artist I admire – Diego Rivera. There were also several of his incredibly detailed smaller drawings and life size paintings which depict the politically charged times and turmoil of the early 20th century through his eyes.

I'm always amazed at how artists can draw from within, their perspectives on life and society – often larger than life itself, but true in every sense nonetheless because of the reflections that they encourage, the questions they raise, the answers they offer and the emotional whirlpools they cause in all of us. It's all what really shapes the collective creativity and intelligence. Don't you think ?

The food at MoMa's cafe was delish. See picture above ! Simple, fresh food, handmade to quench a wanderer's thirst.

Installations set in the outdoor area made for such interesting juxtapositions against the wintry branches, spring sunshine and the hustle-bustle. Outdoor exhibits – challenging but something to think about and not just for sculpture.

I went to the Met the following day. Though this place scares me -the sheer scale of it – I decided to go and take in one more big chunk of it. Particularly to see the Steins' collection of the Matisse works. Needless to say it was breathtaking.

To stand there in such close proximity to the works of great artists I so admire and see the strokes of their own hands that made these masterpieces is overwhelming. I love art museums for that reason, to let the work in front of me be a reminder of just how deep and vast this ocean of inspiration is and how small we really are.

April 2, 2012
Scent of the Monsoon

“A cool breeze, grown pleasant through contact with the scent of the earth refreshed by your showers,

which is inhaled by elephants with a pleasing sound at their nostrils, and which is the ripener of wild

figs in the forest, gently fans you who desire to proceed to Devagiri.

There, you, taking the form of a cloud of flowers, should bathe Skanda, who always resides there, with

a shower of flowers, wet with the water of the heavenly Ganges.”

~ Excerpt from Kālidāsa’s Meghadūta , Verse 45. Translated by McComas Taylor.

I find the rain washed colours of nature so enthralling that photographing them is something that I crave for. It’s the whole sensory experience – the monsoon air, the smells of the earth, the textures of glistening rocks, the brightest of greens that surface, forgotten things that come to life and the clean washed feeling that prevails both inside and out.

A quick note about the excerpt above : I was recently skimming through a translation of Meghaduta by Kālidāsa (who is considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets) and absolutely loved how it represents the Indian Monsoon – in it’s hauntingly mythic manifestation. It narrates how Yaksa, one of King Kubera’s (god of wealth) subjects in exile, pleads a passing cloud to carry a message to his wife residing in the Himalayas.

I enjoyed the parts I read and couldn’t resist sharing a piece of it here. Image was photographed in the Bisle Ghats in Hassan, while exploring the luscious rainforests there, and chasing that passing cloud above us :)

July 30, 2011
A New York Sojourn

"I am not born for one corner, the whole world is my native land."

~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

~ o ~

I adore New york for so many reasons. The city has always filled my heart with lots of inspiration from its diverse menagerie of people, food and arts. As a traveler, I love the experience of solitude that I have found amidst the bustle and energy of this great city. This year I went back for the same reasons; to immerse myself in some classes I was taking and to just recoup my creative self.

Views of the city on a wet afternoon.

I went just in time when the spring rains were starting to give way to the summer breeze and managed to enjoy a bit of both as I walked my way to almost everywhere I wanted to go….arguably, there is no better way to see New York than using one's trusty feet.

Solitude is everywhere.

Something about New York has the power to force the mind to become a sponge and start doing things. It is the energy I suppose. I felt so free to be working on interesting, hands-on and fun art projects among so many talented people. It helps to work on things that are a little out of our comfort zones. It brings the self in touch with wonderful possibilities and forgotten capabilities.

paint, cut, love

….needless to say the fresh ideas for a new chapters and beginnings.

Union Square farmer's market

Food was my other major preoccupation during my entire visit here. I'd often stop at the Union Square farmers market to gorge on the sights of local cheeses, fruit, bread, preserves and everything else. And to fill up my little pantry at home.

Tia Pol

One can never get enough of the culinary pleasures in New York. Of this fact, I am convinced. Food is as intrinsic to the culture of New York as is the cultural diversity.

Butterlane Cupcakes

Eataly (L) ; Momofuku noodle bar (R)

Looking forward to a hearty meal is one of the greatest anticipations of life and so full of joy. As you can see, food did me a lot of good and kept the heart warm and the creative juices flowing….among other things, culinary adventures were a part of my everyday life and I'm so inspired to keep it that way.

Tomato + Fresh Mozzarella salad. Prepared and made so beautiful by a dear friend.

Chelsea Market(L); The Green Table @ the Chelsea Market

Despite all those hours spent at some of NY's amazing galleries, my camera seemed particularly enthusiastic and sensitive towards food. Sigh. That's how I've ended up with so many photographs of food and more of it. However, I had the chance of making it to some of the very best art shows which I highly recommend if you are visiting NY during this time: Alexander McQueen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kandinsky at the Bahaus at the Guggenheim Museum, Sonia Delaunay at the Cooper Hewitt, Elliot Erwitt at the International Center for Photography to name a few and several other smaller ones drew me in each day and kept my inspiration meter brimming.

Central park (above); Taim, one of my favourite eating joints (below L); Guggenheim Museum detail (below R)

There are so many facets to New York that it is overwhelming and scary to write about it in a single blog post which almost feels like injustice. Since this is about a personal journey, I can say that this photo essay kind of captures in a nutshell, the tiny part of this melting pot of a metropolis I got to experience this time around. I cannot wait for my next trip, and already have activities and plans lined up ! But in the mean time, I am so happy to be back home to where my heart belongs and to my puppies. And yes, I will definitely keep this blog more active and bubbling.

June 28, 2011