2011 has almost passed

I am writing because it has been ages since I wrote here. I think Tumblr and Twitter have overtaken my life. Long posts seem unbearable when I can say things I want to in 140 characters. Tumblr is even better, doesn't require me to say much at all.

First I want to say egads again to Blogger. I feel like I am alone on an ocean of white, adrift in all this minimalism you have thrown at me. Quite disturbed by it. Expect a nurse to pop out any minute to offer me some pills for my depression.

After the cribbing about Blogger (you idiots), I want to talk a wee bit about 2011. Whoosh, the year went by, didn't it? I finished a year of shaadi, survived my first giant earthquake, saw and experienced Japan's cultural uniqueness, moved to Hong Kong, went to India for a 3 week vacation this month and well really had a blast.

There have been so many moments that made my life just so amazing this year that honestly I can't wait to experience 2012. I know people who hate 2011 and just want it over and done with but me, I really enjoyed it. Having a husband around with the same tastes really helps of course :)

I still have my grand plans for my photography but I am always worried I am never going to know enough. I want to have my own website up and running by next year for sure. It was supposed to happen by this year end but you know what they say about best laid plans.

Can't wait for 2012 to start. Oh yes, its also the year when its all supposed to end. Should be interesting times ahead for us. See you on the other side. 

Feeling the pulse of a city

An afternoon spent meandering around the bylanes of SoHo, one of the really cool neighbourhoods in the city. Streets that are on a steep incline. Small friendly boutiques. Interesting restaurants. But today it was mostly about the people.

I shopped today hence all the interaction with people. Very cool boutique shops - paper, leather, vintage clothing and accessories, you name it, they got it.


Great customer care and every so friendly. And the language, everything from propah Queen's to broken 'you want, you try, you take' kind of English. Quaint little restaurants called 'Yorkshire Pudding' with signage like a London Tube station.

And an art gallery called Madhouse with interesting contemporary art from artists all around the world.

And outside the gallery's entrance this.


I tried some amount of street photography and here are the results.




Hong Kong is grey today. Mist surrounds the tops of the skyscrapers. Gentle inconsequential rain. A different side to this totally fascinating city.

A Photo Essay on Tsukiji

So I did a small walk around Tsukiji and here is what I found:

Owls in the strangest places.

Peds hanging out in public

Green Green bicycles

Pretty pretty drain covers

Tall skyscraper like residential complexes

Flowers blooming along the sidewalk

And a bridge that soared into the blue blue sky

What an enjoyable afternoon that was! :D

The Sumo Series

I posted this on Flickr too and well I gotta tell you sumo was something else!!

Colourful flags outside the arena

We got there pretty early around 11.30ish in the morning and got bored. Without knowing the significance of the rituals that precedes each bout, you tend to be completely lost. This gave me an opportunity to read up on Wikipedia and also on the tournament website too.

And in between I kept yelling for all the underdogs in the bouts which was fun. Then began the actual shebang roughly around 2.30 pm with the higher rung rishikis (wrestlers) entering the ring.


Followed by about 14 bouts of which I only managed to get a clean shot of this one! Trust me this was difficult to achieve given the distance b/w where we were seated and the ring, my camera zoom lens and people walking around!

And then the Makuuchi rikishi entered. These guys are the higher ups in the division and the crowd started shouting out their names and cheering them on.

And then came the heavy duty Yokozuna whose numero uno and right on top of the ladder. This is a gentleman called Hakuho. Given his size, he sat on his haunches and moved himself with extreme agility I might add about 5 feet forward and the crowd went ballistic!

And then their matches started too. Bouts typically last less than 30 seconds. There were interesting bouts - with the crowd cheering on the underdog on occasion and on occasion very clearly previous winners. Ah yes, this is where I got my pronounciation corrected - I was yelling out a wrestler's name incorrectly so the very nice ladies in the box ahead of us corrected me, waited for me to say it correctly and had such pleased smiles on their faces when I said it the right way! :D

Another story about the same wrestler comes to mind - Kotooshu is his name. If you see his photo on the Wikipedia page, notice the hair on his chest. Believe it or not, all souvenir shops sell a small sized doll of Kotooshu with hair on the chest area!! :):) Attention to detail man!!

Oh yes I was coming to the last bout which was the Yokozuna with a lower ranked opponent. The opponent didn't last 3 seconds which was a bit of an anti-climax to be honest! Like he literally ran for his life (in sumo terms) :)

I should add that I did OD on sumo. This won't be a repeat experience having seen so much of it!! But extremely recommended if you are ever in Japan and in time for a tournament too! As a cultural experience, this one is going to stay with you forever!

So am here

Have moved. In a different city in a completely amazing country. The Japanese are crazy :D and ever ever sooo polite. Technology is omni-present which is way cool. The dogs are really small too. Now that sentence isn't very coherent is it? :):)

So am in Japan, living in Tokyo with the husband who has been debuted here. Its been slightly hectic, settling in, starting out your own house, figuring out how much to cook for 2 ppl (am used to cooking for 4!) and also staring out at a gorgeous gorgeous view of the river which I feel very blessed about. After 28 years of looking at slums, this kind of thing is almost God-given or husband found :D

Its been a week. Fall is very clear here and temperatures keep dropping and going up. I like the idea that he comes home to me every day and I rustle up a hot meal for him. Very homely I know but something I look forward to.

Today is the first day I intend exploring the city without him. We still haven't had a chance to look around given that we have going around buying sandwich makers and rugs for the kitchen and what not jazz! I am looking forward to it. People don't understand English - like zip nada zap! I need to use my IPhone app for translation so the lady who sells me veggies understands that I want parsley and no she doesn't have coriander! :)

So am off to start my day. Am of course taking photos so will be posting those with hopefully something to write about Harajuku where the walk is going to happen....

The light check...the beads check...shadows..check..

The light check...the beads check...shadows..check.., originally uploaded by KittyKaht.

Sometimes the perfect shot comes along without you knowing it. Sometimes life happens without you knowing it. And going with the flow is just as good as thinking and planning it. This shot is like that- with the flow - taxi stops in town at a traffic signal, the light pours in this extraordinary fashion, the beads glitter, and my hand automatically reaches for the camera.

One day, I want to have an exhibition of my photographs. I would like that to happen for me. I am not yet confident that I am that good. I work with a point and shoot. People compliment me. But I know I am just as good as the next person. To be better, I need to learn.

Life teaches you lessons. Sometimes you learn well, sometimes you forget and make the same effing mistakes. And that too is a learning experience.

This post in that sense is a nonsensical one. The photo inspired me to write. I like using photos to complement my writing. You can read Flash Fiction about how that works. I think Micky is doing a great job at supporting people who write. More people should write - gets their angst off their chests and wherever else it is hiding :)

Ok enuf said. Time to do I reckon...

Rootless_Wanderer

Locked away in dark recesses yet the memory still lingers on

The love that died a slow death

It had bloomed like a sunflower in the spring sun

Survived years of autumns and winters

That one night destroyed it

They thought they would weather the storm

But this one blew them off course

Destroyed their moorings

Left them stranded dry and without the roof called love..

I know I know..its corny but the words would not stop :)

Chennai Photo Workshop

Why the heck am I blogging about a photo workshop in Chennai? Yeh good question hai, well because the man who is doing it does things like this and this and much more than that ..feel free to look at his profile on Flickr.. and you will know why I am writing a post like this.

I had the good opportunity to meet him when I went to Madras about a couple of weeks back and he knows his photography..For more details on the photography workshop being organised by him please read here

Good luck CC...I am there in spirit :)