Am I drifting away from WP

Getting back to WP is hard

Back from land of Gulmohor (Delonix regia – flamboyant display of orange-red flowers)  to snow cap mountains. You heard me right. I was away from WP for a couple of weeks as was visiting my mum and with so many things in hand I decided to stay away from social media to the highest degree possible.

Aerial view of Dubai as we were flying over at night

The cleanest city in India

We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.~ Pascal Mercier

It was for the first time I got down with cough and cold during my India visit. Global warming signs were clearly visible making it hard to stay fit. The temperature twist was beyond expection from +2 °C -> 28 °C -> 40 °C -> 8 °C. When landed back here we were greeted by our usual gray and cold weather. It was such a relief. Also the early blooming pink rhododendron in our balcony was waiting for us.

The weather is changing and temperature is near 20 °C. I spent this past weekend in setting my balcony garden. A couple of roses, clematis, honeysuckle and azalea are set in pots. I love gardening as it gives me hope.

Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature. ~Steve Maraboli 

Yesterday I went to bed before sunset and I know that this is my story for alteast until August.

Keep looking forward 😊

Lens artists photo challenge

Rocks : small and large

For Earth day & Lens artists photo challenge

Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished. ~Lao Tzu

You don’t live on earth, you are passing through. ~Rumi

Reading log continues:

In Februaary I read a book called “Please look after mother” by a South Korean author. Within a couple of weeks Bridget from “the happy quitter” mentioned this book. I was surprised by the title itself. Without delay I checked it in our library system and ordered

A heartbreaking memoir by Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders. Her mother contributed to her eating disorder by introducing her to calorie restriction at age 11. I haven’t watched any of her shows but still felt for this 6 year old girl. A manipulative mother is worst than enemy. She knew very well how to play innocent and tortured little Jennette.

A collection of 8 short stories of South Indian immigrants. These stories revolve around women’s lives. I could read only two of them the first one and the one called “Amma” , which is based on former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha. A fantastic book. I shall get it back after a couple of weeks.

The name says it all. Sadly I am not able to read much.

************

It’s time for a hiatus. See you all in May. In case of any possibilities will update my Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/rupali_mazeepuran/

Till then, take care.

Back on WP after a Week

Two social events and a lot of office work kept me at bay. The little free time in hand was happily spent in reading.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts I don’t use any of the special photography softwares as I do not have administrator rights for my pc. I use the basic editor available on machine to straighten the image or cropping etc. Here are some examples showing “before & after” images for lens artists photo challenge.

Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.~Marcus Aurelius

Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting? ~Marcus Aurelius

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.~Marcus Aurelius

Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature.~Marcus Aurelius

Reading log continues

In Norway, women have the right to decide for themselves whether they wish to have an abortion during the first twelve weeks of their pregnancy. All women resident in Norway are entitled to have an abortion, either as an elective abortion or following consideration by a committee. After this 12-week time limit, a request must be submitted to a special medical assessment board that will determine whether an abortion will be granted. An excellent book, based on true stories/histories from over 200 women in Norway.

Our Lady of the Nile is set in a boarding school which offers Christian education to young girls from elite families in Rwanda.

It was a blind date with a book. I liked it. The Book begins with “In my childhood, I was known as the boy whose mother had run off with an Englishman“. I must confess it’s not a simple read but I liked the book.

I saw trailor of a movie with the same name. It was quite hilarious but didn’t get to see the movie. I saw the book (in Norwegian) in our local library and decided to read it. “Growing up brown in Norway is no picnic”. Mahmoud is a boy with buoyancy. Born in Norway, of Pakistani parents, and with a language that we rarely see expressed in Norwegian novels.

It is summer vacation and fifteen-year-old Mahmoud wants a relaxing summer when Uncle Ji comes to visit from Pakistan. He has to be responsible for being his Oslo guide, and little brother Ali has a secret that turns his whole life upside down. A very interesting read.

I Love Photographing Water in Motion

Lens Artists Photo Challenge

Do you think life is hard

If you see this post you are ( rather we are) fortunate in many ways. No life is without struggle but there are numerous reasons to be happy and grateful.

It’s interesting how one post takes shape. I had a vague idea in my mind for lens artists photo challenge with theme “people” and while going through archives I see images I have totally forgotten. Suddenly I decided to shift the point of interest.

The image which influnced my thinking was taken in Rome around 8 years ago.

When people don’t know any better they are mostly contended with whatever little they have. I talked to this elderly couple. He was complaining about life but she was all smiling.

India data – In terms of employment share the unorganised sector employs 83% of the work force and 17% in the organised sector. There are 92.4% informal workers (with no written contract, paid leave and other benefits) in the economy. There are also 9.8% informal workers in the organised sectors indicating the level of outsourcing.

Source – International Monetary Fund: https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Conferences/2019/7th-statistics-forum/session-ii-murthy.ashx#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20employment%20share,indicating%20the%20level%20of%20outsourcing.

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems. Zig Ziglar

Six Word Saturday

Migrant labourers suffer exploitation in India’s sugar fields

Wordless Wednesday – Week 12

I am in Trondheim for a seminar. Took a short walk after breakfast.

Jos Monday Walk

Lens artists photo Challenge – Part1

The circle of life

It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, ’till we find our place, on the path unwinding. ~Elton John

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. Rachel Carson

Lens artists Photo Challenge

*****

March reading log – Part1

Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin is at once a portrait of motherhood, not restricted to Korean culture. It discusses the  unnoticeable acts of a mother which most of the time kids taken for granted until she stops doing it.

Next was a novel by Akhil Sharma. Family Life is a 2014 autobiographical novel by Akhil Sharma. Set in 1978, it tells the coming-of-age story of an eight-year old Indian boy named Ajay Mishra living with his recently immigrated family in New York City.

The third book was “The House on Mango Street” published in 1984 by Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros. I read somewhere that this book is widely studied in schools as both an example of Hispanic culture and coming of age. This book is a collection of short vignettes, quite an observation.

Then comes “Passing” by Nella Larsen, first published in 1929. The story centers on the reunion of two lightly coloured childhood friends with mixed race background.

Understanding Light to Capture Little Crocuses

The position and quality of light affect the image.

Where light and shadow fall on your subject – that is the essence of expression and art through photography.~ Scott Bourne

Last week went by so quickly. I was planning to have a post on Wednesday but couldn’t make it happen. Weather is improving in this part of Norway and large clusters of crocus are visible in sunny areas.

Lens artists photo challenge

Window Shopping

Buy, buy, says the sign in the shop window; Why, why, says the junk in the yard. ~Paul McCartney

Windows allow us to see past the boundaries of our own lives- Unknown

I hate this when women are presented as objects – Image taken in Prague

Ideas matter. Ideas that depict women as less than men influence men to treat women as less than men. Ideas that objectify women result in women being treated like objects (sex objects, mostly). ~ Beth Allison Barr

When outside is so beautiful! Prepare yourself to take a tour.

Our emotions impact how we perceive and respond to the world around us; how we interpret and, subsequently, judge the actions of others. We rarely seek to challenge why we’re feeling a particular emotion. Instead, we seek ways to confirm that emotion, making it easier to defend our reaction(s). ~Paul Ekman

Hong Kong – A few items are just for window shopping!

Brussels : Not only Chocolates

As long as you have a window. Life is exciting – Unknown

Window:

•  An opening for admission of light and air
• An opening through which business is conducted
• A means of entrance or access

Books open windows to the world and have the power to transform lives. ~ Ralph Lauren 

February reading log

Reading books is similar to window shopping – Somethings we remember and some we forget.

I did learn two things from the first book. One is about “Fall fig ritual – fig growers traditionally bury their fig trees in the ground for the winter. Burying protects them from severe winters and the fig tree almost always survives.” The second about “the painted lady, Vanessa cardui, is a migratory butterfly that performs an annual multi-generational migration between North Africa and Europe“. It is the longest continuously migrating butterfly ever recorded. Wetter conditions in Sub-Saharan and North Africa at certain times of year can result in hundreds of times more Painted Lady butterflies making the 14,000 km trip to Europe.

I got interested in the secong book as it shed light on the conflict between Armenia and Turkey. The role of the Armenian community in the development of Istanbul and the Turkish regime’s denial of their role in the Armenian genocide. Are Turks really so ignorant of this history and why the Armenians are so stubborn to relive it? I have Armenian friends and I know their feelings. More details can be found on “Armenian genocide“

Lens Artists Photo Challenge

Turning Ingredients into an Edible Gallery

A well-crafted dish is a symphony of flavors, an orchestra of taste.

Food art speaks to our senses and whispers to our souls.

Flavors dance, colors pop, and textures sing in food art.

Food art is a delightful conversation between the chef and the diner.

Laughter is brightest in the place where food is good ~Irish proverb

What a fantastic coincidence as in my earlier post I talked about silence and now it’s time for sound. I wanted to see how sound is associated with food, as food has been a fundamental part of human civilization since the beginning of recorded history.

Lens artists photo challenge

Six Word Saturday

A friendly note: I am totally aware of the fact that I haven’t mentioned the various sounds we hear in a restaurant, like background music, clinking of glasses, water pouring in a glass, plates clattering, etc. in the post 😀