White Washed Rainbows

Non Stop Goli: White washed Rainbows

Dr. Suchitra Roy writes a very moving guest post White Washed Rainbows about a patient she met as a part of her studies. If you have to read only one post today make sure it is this.

As my mind was doing this the boy was running his hand across the edge of the table. He was turning his head from where he supposed his father must be to the other side probably trying to find him out. Nothing about him to suggest he could not have been a boy straight from the fair, who had made his father buy him the goggles from a vendor. All he lacked was perhaps a red balloon; and I could half imagine him clutching one in his left hand. Or was there a lack that dint meet the eye? Only time would tell that,and in a few seconds it did.

Times of India Downloads Picture from Flickr and then Acts Funny

Twilight Fairy wrote to me about her picture being flicked by Times of India newspaper and the editor a Ms. Poonam Singh is now acting funny. And in her comment section you can find another user saying his/her picture was flicked by Economic Times. Shame on TOI.

Well, I clearly understand that it was not the editor herself stealing my image, but some downtrodden employee. But then undoubtedly, Ms. Poonam Singh, who represents the Times of India, is not performing her job of being an editor, if her employees are violating copyrights! Who is responsible for educating employees about copyright violation and the legal ramifications of it? How come the Indian publishing industry takes this so lightly, whereas the Indian IT industry (of which I am a part) takes IPR’s, patents and copyright violations so seriously that they throw out employees who download pirated mp3’s on their machines? I have undergone trainings on ethics a zillion times in my career. We have had several instances of audits, policies stuffed down our throats and what not. Why? Because the Indian IT industry takes this matter seriously. On the other hand, nauseatingly so, the Indian publishing industry takes this as its birthright!

Driving into a Ditch, Literally!

Not this one but one like it with a bigger ditch, roads in the National Capital Region, Delhi

It was after seven and I was driving home from work today, after a game of Table Tennis in the evening.

I don't know how I did it, I went towards the side of the road where it was quite broken. Of course I am used to such roads. I turned the car a little over what was a small mound of mud and the fellow in the next car by my side gave me a really alarming look. But by then I had managed to get my car stuck into the deep hole that was next to the mound of mud and was not visible from my angle.

I tried reversing the car out of it and then tried to drive forward. Both didn't work. I got out of the car and I had panicked a little by then. Then there were two people walking by after their factory shift and I asked them if they had any clue what could I do? They said they can try and push the car out if I switch on the engine and try to reverse the car. Those angles tried and failed. They stood by me and asked for help from others passing by. Two declined and I don't blame then, the car was really in a nasty hole.

Then there were four people coming towards us and I asked them myself. They gave me an ugly glance (stupid female driver and all that, can't even see where she is driving, she deserves to be in a hole and we poor folks have to get our hands dirty now) but agreed to try. Once again I started the engine and tried to reverse the car. With six people trying and the car being a light Maruti 800 it came out of the hole!

I thanked them a lot and the crowd moved on. The two men who had stopped originally, I tried to give then some money for all their trouble but they just waved me off!

Note to self- don't get yourself into a hole in the first place.

When in Rome ... A Few Things that Scare Me!

I have been abroad only a few times and every time for work, I don't think we have the courage (nor do I have a big salary) to spend that kind of money on a vacation. So, I never know when will I manage to land up in a new/foreign country next! That probably keeps the charm alive but I wonder if I traveled abroad often would it ever become routine for me?That reminds me of a friend who was made to travel so much that he told his manager "you are moving me around like a piece of luggage" and he was complaining about being sent to Hawaii again!

So to put the record straight I love to travel a lot and I also like to travel abroad if I get an opportunity even if it is for work. But then there are some aspects of foreign travel that feel so strange!

London Underground

I am so used to the hustle and bustle of the Indian railway stations that when I encounter a platform like the one in the picture above, I used to freak out. I remember waiting for a train in Bologna that would go to Venice. I read the information board and proceeded to the platform at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time only to find it completely deserted. I was so confused that I actually went and rechecked if I was at the correct platform! When the train finally arrived not more than 10 people would have boarded it. So, now when I encounter a scene like the one above I do not get dazed but calmly wait for the train to arrive and it always does.

Tower Bridge, London, UK

Hanging on to the passport is another thing that becomes an obsession with me. I mean even in really beautiful areas (I liked the Tower Bridge area) you hang on to the hand bag that contains the passport with all your might.

Once when I was taking a flight to Amsterdam from New Delhi, I was filling some form and took the passport out to fill the passport number. And then I went to exchange some currency. In the line for currency exchange there was a gentleman ahead of me and the young lad at the counter asked for his passport. A bell went in my head and I immediately realized that I had left my passport at the place where I was filling up my form! I ran back and I had panicked quite badly. I stood at the spot desperately trying to locate my passport but could not find it. Then a kindly voice called, saying "Are you by any chance looking for this?" and he was pointing a finger to the passport that was lying exactly at the same place where I had left it, right in front of my eyes and yet I was unable to see it! Imagine if that happened at a foreign airport!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Birds Nest

The Dove in its nest in my backyard

The Young Chicks

What Do You Do When You Don't Travel Much?

Walk Near the Church at Saltaire, UK

You of course look at the older travel pictures!

This one was taken in October end last year. At that point of time the view was so fresh in my eyes that I didn't appreciate ithe picture much. But I find it quite soothing now.

PS. It was such a hectic and exhausting week that I hardly found any time to blog. And the comments on the previous posts are unanswered too! But then I have the weekend to catch up.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Harewood Garden Walk, Leeds, UK

Harewood Garden Walk, Leeds, UK

It seems like ages since I walked for 10-12 kilometers and I am missing it.