What the future holds...

The trend of posting inspirational pictures and quotes on Facebook (it was email forwards and text messages before that, it still continues in a small way) and other social networking sites help most of the times, but, sometimes they give a ticklish feeling when we see how frivolously the term 'positive attitude' and the word 'hope' are used. These terms are powerful in their own right.

I feel most of the times the attitude to change things or hope for better times is already there in the mind. And, most of the times in our mind we are already working on the things want or how our future takes shape, however negative or depressed we maybe feeling or look to the world. The intrinsic value such positive terms is already in the psyche.

I had thought of writing this post after coming across one really mushy message of how things will turnaround once you have hope or positive attitude. But, we all have it somewhere inside us, whatever the world may make out of us. What the future holds depends how you think or work (being cheery or gung-ho outwardly is of little or no consequence).

PS: I'm not against reading such messages talking about hope and positive attitude, I even share most of them. It is just sometimes that you get ticklish when the writing goes overboard.

I too am a filmmaker now

Steven Spielberg made his first film in his early teens and I touched a real camera only in my very late thirties and shot my first video just last week as I’d mentioned here. But, as they say age no bar when it is the question of passion.

Discussing the process of editing this video and adding background music with Adithya, who helped me with it was equally or more exciting than the actual shooting.

PS: The title and the first paragraph is written the tongue-in-cheek manner. I don't think I'd be any good in the next ten years.

Labour Day

We Keralites may have made a habit of filling up the coffers the Beverages Corporation on every holiday. But, some out station workers toil on such days to earn their bread, then let it be the Labour Day, a day paying homage to their struggle.

Clicked a few pictures on the holiday (May 1) of a construction site in the vicinity.

Fruit Stalls in the Gujarati Street

Last evening my sis Smita took me for a round on my wheelchair to the vegetable/fruit market reviving the memories of our younger days when it was a  routine. Initially, I was very shy and conscious of people watching or staring at me, and, her only argument would be "if I'm not bothered why should you be?" Slowly I started enjoying such outings.

As I look back I feel that I've changed a lot since those days, now I'm least bothered about the stares and would even smile at someone who persistently looks at me. Yesterday was fun as hardly anybody realised that I'd a camera with me and that I was taking pictures or video (the video has a steadicam feel to it).

I've got a video recording of around four minutes, will try to upload it after some editing adding background score.

Water Wars

With the summer blazing in its full glory water has become an important commodity for me (no I'm not a compulsive water drinking person for obvious reasons), apart from the 'killing' thirst, the fear of the return of Renal Colic, which I fought nearly eight years to get rid of, makes me think and drink more water these days.

Water as such is the flavour of the season with politicians asking the common man if they should be peeing in the dams in order to fill them up...

Then there is this blog, which quotes Nestle's top honcho saying that water is not a human right that I read during the last week.

The other article that I read is by Shekhar Kapur, it talks about the consequences of privatisation of water resources. We may argue that he is just publicising his long awaited film 'Pani', yet it strikes a chord somewhere.

The most striking thing that has appeared about water recently is the series of TV spots done by Bisleri that are meant to scare us from sharing our bottle of water with fellow human beings, it conveys in no mild terms to have your own bottle of Bisleri (500 ML costing Rs. 10 only) if you are thirsty.

I'm under no delusion to believe that we will switch on the reverse gear after making so much progress as the human race and begin to live organically and share natural resources with every living being.

Going at this rate the day isn't far when we will have the choice of buying perfume enriched oxygen in numerous variants or simply die breathless.

Happy Earth Day should we say?

Evening Walk with Mr. Prabhu

This is Mr. Prabhu, my nonagenarian neighbour who walks for 45 minutes to 1 hour daily evening. Everyday I hear the sound of his slippers while catching the news of the day on TV. Yesterday, after returning from work, I waited for him with my camera and tripod ready to click a few pictures of his. He asked me what was I doing outside and happily posed for me when I told him I was taking pictures.

This is Srikanth from the next lane who gave Mr. Prabhu company for few minute. I felt he was unexpected bonus for me.

I was humming the Alive is Awesome jingle of the Cinthol product range and felt that these two persons somehow gave real meaning to those words.

Sun Bathing mangoes & a pair of shoes

Drying mangoes in the sun and making pickles is an annual ritual with Ma. You'll find mangoes of numerous variety cut, diced and even scraped all around the house during the summer. The fragrance of mangoes marked the beginning of the long holidays in childhood and tasting a few pieces without anyone noticing was a fun activity. Paradise Pickles & Preserves anyone? :-P