I finally got it!! A brand new Canon 400D! Yay!
It was my mom's graduation gift for me!!!
This will go down in history as the day I finally owned a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera!!!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
INCOMPLETE... Dead or alive
How does one cope with the passing away of a loved one? This question has been hounding me for a long time. Why do we sometimes revel in the ache? Almost as we enjoy it. We want it. It’s because pain is good. We pity on our own self, and take vulgar pleasure from it. The twinge that I fell so deep within me, is so necessary now, that I will not be able to live if devoid of it. Why are we never satisfied? Why do we keep wanting more. Loss is inevitable, then why do we hope against hope?
Anguish is something very individual. My way of expressing it differs from others, but does that make me less compassionate? I lost many people I loved so intensely, one still exists, but distanced. I feel extremely sad about the one who exists. I fondly remember ones who don’t. The have moved on, leaving us behind, and so must I.
To someone who didn’t exist for me a while back, why do I feel such pain? Why do I feel so incomplete? He is there, behind a glass wall, I can see him, talk to him, I feel an extreme affection for him, but I am refrained from expressing it. Such is my dilemma. The dead have gone and left me with good memories, and the living are distancing themselves, causing an excruciating agony, that is growing, and not healing with time.
I am incomplete, and will remain so, till I convene with those who have left me for good. But then I will still remain incomplete since the living will keep haunting me, when I am dead.
Anguish is something very individual. My way of expressing it differs from others, but does that make me less compassionate? I lost many people I loved so intensely, one still exists, but distanced. I feel extremely sad about the one who exists. I fondly remember ones who don’t. The have moved on, leaving us behind, and so must I.
To someone who didn’t exist for me a while back, why do I feel such pain? Why do I feel so incomplete? He is there, behind a glass wall, I can see him, talk to him, I feel an extreme affection for him, but I am refrained from expressing it. Such is my dilemma. The dead have gone and left me with good memories, and the living are distancing themselves, causing an excruciating agony, that is growing, and not healing with time.
I am incomplete, and will remain so, till I convene with those who have left me for good. But then I will still remain incomplete since the living will keep haunting me, when I am dead.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
RETRO LAMBRETTA!
One look at my grandfather’s old lambretta and you would know why he doesn’t believe in locking it… at our stilt parking, or on any roadside parking, etc… He is confident no one would dare to touch it… many a times; he has left (not intentionally) a few important documents and things in the storage compartment of his scooter, unlocked… and till date, nothing has disappeared from there.
The scrap merchants have their eye on such things… but the thing that works to my grandfather’s advantage is that it’s much too heavy. The money for the scrap from this scooter is not worth all the effort to haul it all the way to the scrap yard.
Well, one fine summer afternoon, my grandfather unknowingly parked in a no parking zone, and had his lambretta lifted by the police. Now, the police have guts… Can’t really blame them… they have the manpower, and they need money. So, since he did not bother too much about the safety of his lambretta, being in the very capable hands of the police, he went to rescue his scooter, not the same day but the next day…
The police were relieved to see the owner of the old lambretta claiming it as his own and taking it away after paying the requisite fine… The reason: The last time they whisked away two such old lambrettas from no parking zones, the owners of the relevant scooters never came to claim up and collect the bikes, let alone pay fine… and those two scooters still remain where they are… with the police… not worth the effort to sell off to scrap, and not worth using…
The scrap merchants have their eye on such things… but the thing that works to my grandfather’s advantage is that it’s much too heavy. The money for the scrap from this scooter is not worth all the effort to haul it all the way to the scrap yard.
Well, one fine summer afternoon, my grandfather unknowingly parked in a no parking zone, and had his lambretta lifted by the police. Now, the police have guts… Can’t really blame them… they have the manpower, and they need money. So, since he did not bother too much about the safety of his lambretta, being in the very capable hands of the police, he went to rescue his scooter, not the same day but the next day…
The police were relieved to see the owner of the old lambretta claiming it as his own and taking it away after paying the requisite fine… The reason: The last time they whisked away two such old lambrettas from no parking zones, the owners of the relevant scooters never came to claim up and collect the bikes, let alone pay fine… and those two scooters still remain where they are… with the police… not worth the effort to sell off to scrap, and not worth using…
I HAVE STAR TRAILS!
It was due for a long time... finally i did it!
The first Star trail shot I tried!
75 mins exposure on 26th May 0200Hrs!
AWESOME for a first timer like me...
Thanks Shutterbug Pooja for letting me experiment with her Nikon FM2! You are the best!
This going to get better for sure... !
MEGHANA'S RECIPE FOR STAR TRAIL SUCCESS AS FOLLOWS:
Ingredients:
1 Manual Film SLR
1 ISO 100 film
1 Tripod (don't worry if you don't have one. Like me, you can improvise)
1 MP3 player
1 Alarm clock ( a mobile will do)
Prepration:
Load and set up the camera on the tripod, (lens facing skywards, and a few hours after moonset or before moonrise is good!)
f /11 Exposure time: anywhere between 5 minutes to 5 hours. (If 5 hours, then you need to be really away from civilization...)
Set up your alarm, put on your headphones and ENJOY!
NOTE: No matter how well you plan, how well you set up your camera, LUCK is something beyond our control! (an airplane crossed sometime during exposure in this shot... )
The first Star trail shot I tried!
75 mins exposure on 26th May 0200Hrs!
AWESOME for a first timer like me...
Thanks Shutterbug Pooja for letting me experiment with her Nikon FM2! You are the best!
This going to get better for sure... !
MEGHANA'S RECIPE FOR STAR TRAIL SUCCESS AS FOLLOWS:
Ingredients:
1 Manual Film SLR
1 ISO 100 film
1 Tripod (don't worry if you don't have one. Like me, you can improvise)
1 MP3 player
1 Alarm clock ( a mobile will do)
Prepration:
Load and set up the camera on the tripod, (lens facing skywards, and a few hours after moonset or before moonrise is good!)
f /11 Exposure time: anywhere between 5 minutes to 5 hours. (If 5 hours, then you need to be really away from civilization...)
Set up your alarm, put on your headphones and ENJOY!
NOTE: No matter how well you plan, how well you set up your camera, LUCK is something beyond our control! (an airplane crossed sometime during exposure in this shot... )
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sounds of India!
Venue: ILC hall, Verite, Auroville.
Date: 6th Sept 2006
Time: 5.30 PM. Broadcast on Auroville Radio.
The first performance I gave in Auroville.
Harshad: Keyboard
Abhi: tabla
Meghana: Guitar
Date: 6th Sept 2006
Time: 5.30 PM. Broadcast on Auroville Radio.
The first performance I gave in Auroville.
Harshad: Keyboard
Abhi: tabla
Meghana: Guitar
https://soundcloud.com/anahgem/sounds-of-india-part-2
Friday, June 15, 2007
my GUITAR speaks to ME
My guitar talks to me,
My friend, he says,
I will desert you never.
Be with you forever,
Honestly…
My guitar sings to me,
Of a blissful subsist, so sweet,
The reverberation lingers,
On the tips of my fingers,
And so, I feel utterly free…
My guitar gives to me,
A subdue but expressive resonance,
A profound and soulful pulsation,
A near surreal sensation,
And a welcome diversion from reality.
My guitar travels with me,
He doesn’t grieve,
Doesn’t mope doesn’t cry,
Loves me so to move by,
And my grief is just a distant memory.
Such is he, the love of my life,
The music he makes, the passion in which I lie
The divine slender strings, The luxurious form,
The touch, so delicate, so mellow and warm.
Such is my love… And he speaks to me…
-----------------------------------------------DR (05/06/07)
My friend, he says,
I will desert you never.
Be with you forever,
Honestly…
My guitar sings to me,
Of a blissful subsist, so sweet,
The reverberation lingers,
On the tips of my fingers,
And so, I feel utterly free…
My guitar gives to me,
A subdue but expressive resonance,
A profound and soulful pulsation,
A near surreal sensation,
And a welcome diversion from reality.
My guitar travels with me,
He doesn’t grieve,
Doesn’t mope doesn’t cry,
Loves me so to move by,
And my grief is just a distant memory.
Such is he, the love of my life,
The music he makes, the passion in which I lie
The divine slender strings, The luxurious form,
The touch, so delicate, so mellow and warm.
Such is my love… And he speaks to me…
-----------------------------------------------DR (05/06/07)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
COME... lets GO...
A sudden though left me wondering, and I penned down a few words...
COME ... lets GO...
Lets go to a place where we can be,
As lucid as water, as vivid as sun,
As soaring as the trees, and equally free…
Lets go to a place where we can hear,
The bird natter, the sea-waves chatter,
The zephyr in my ear, so very clear…!
Lets go to a place where we can see,
The sun ascend, the moon glimmer
The stars so zealous, all for me…
Lets go to a place where we can sense,
The sunlight so tepid, the rain drop so chaste,
Sheer bliss and a love so intense…
Lets go to a place where we can speak,
About each other, the humanity,
To make our vista brilliant, not bleak…
--------------------------------------------DR(29.5.07)
COME ... lets GO...
Lets go to a place where we can be,
As lucid as water, as vivid as sun,
As soaring as the trees, and equally free…
Lets go to a place where we can hear,
The bird natter, the sea-waves chatter,
The zephyr in my ear, so very clear…!
Lets go to a place where we can see,
The sun ascend, the moon glimmer
The stars so zealous, all for me…
Lets go to a place where we can sense,
The sunlight so tepid, the rain drop so chaste,
Sheer bliss and a love so intense…
Lets go to a place where we can speak,
About each other, the humanity,
To make our vista brilliant, not bleak…
--------------------------------------------DR(29.5.07)
Friday, May 4, 2007
I went to the Moon one day...
I wrote this 5-6 yrs back. I had nothing better to do and since I dreamed of the moon everyday, I wrote a poem about why I should come back to Good 'ol earth!!
I went to the moon one day,
And I saw a little Alien trying to scare me away.
I went near it to talk,
But I seemed to give it a big shock.
The alien took out its Pogo stick,
And went away without any hick…
So, I went hopping mad to mars,
Where I saw a busy street with lots of cars.
All filled up with little Martians,
Dressed up in clothes of the latest fashions.
But without any designer tags,
They all looked like old, work out rags…
That drove me crazy to Saturn!
I was impressed with its lunar patterns.
But it made my head go round and round and round,
Until I fell on to the ground.
I sat up and looked up at the sky…
Oh! Why did it seem so blank and dry?
I was swept off my feet to Earth,
It is after all the place of my birth.
I left it in search of Humanity,
Love and honesty.
People came up to me to speak,
And for my advice to seek.
They welcomed me with open arms,
And protected me from all harms.
I am sorry I left this green planet,
I shouldn’t have been caught in this vicious net.
‘Cause I have just discovered,
There is so much love and humanity here ...still uncovered
------------------------------------------------------------------Meghana Kulkarni
I went to the moon one day,
And I saw a little Alien trying to scare me away.
I went near it to talk,
But I seemed to give it a big shock.
The alien took out its Pogo stick,
And went away without any hick…
So, I went hopping mad to mars,
Where I saw a busy street with lots of cars.
All filled up with little Martians,
Dressed up in clothes of the latest fashions.
But without any designer tags,
They all looked like old, work out rags…
That drove me crazy to Saturn!
I was impressed with its lunar patterns.
But it made my head go round and round and round,
Until I fell on to the ground.
I sat up and looked up at the sky…
Oh! Why did it seem so blank and dry?
I was swept off my feet to Earth,
It is after all the place of my birth.
I left it in search of Humanity,
Love and honesty.
People came up to me to speak,
And for my advice to seek.
They welcomed me with open arms,
And protected me from all harms.
I am sorry I left this green planet,
I shouldn’t have been caught in this vicious net.
‘Cause I have just discovered,
There is so much love and humanity here ...still uncovered
------------------------------------------------------------------Meghana Kulkarni
Thursday, May 3, 2007
I wrote this one for Harshad while we were in Auroville:
For Harshad (Haytad!!)
The games we play and the games you let me play,
Are at times irksome to you,
But exhilarating and playful to me,
I am a simple, naïve and hollow being,
And the kindly, but astute soul, are thee.
You know, but pretend ignorant,
Letting me feel vanity for the moment,
Even now you know,
But since so kind you are,
Quietly for the good, you let it go.
I am harmless, you think,
A cat without claws, how right you are,
But never show what’s in your mind,
You let my juvenile achievements pass,
That’s how you are, compassionate and kind.
I trouble you with my childlike mediocrities,
And feel superior,
To you, in some ways,
But you let me be stupid and happy,
Living blissfully, in a hazy daze...
It’s a lost cause to admit that I lose,
To you, a superior life than me,
You know that, but cannot comprehend,
How you abide my ways,
And live with all sanity I lost, but still defend.
This is another amateur prank,
I hope you will forget it,
And remember me as funny and poor,
Stupid and naive, but someone who wanted to learn from you,
And to be wise and sound and sure.
Keep forgiving me for being what I am,
The games I play and all that you do not like,
For everything I said that did injure,
Today, I have the strength and the courage to regret,
And to say this, all my lost courage I conjure…
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I am so rich…
Have you ever set up a telescope, hoping to see the moon, exactly half, already above the horizon, with, still a bit of daylight around? Have you ever seen through the telescope to see the magnificent moon floating in the inky blue sky? Have you ever seen the moon’s craters, on the bright, shining lunar skin? I bet you have…
But have you ever seen, while watching the same moon, a bird, appearing suddenly out of the blackness, cross paths between the telescope and the moon, seen as a dark silhouette to it’s bright surface, with wings, waxing and waning like the moon, flying across and disappearing back into the blackness it came from.
And I know, that I’m truly a witness to one or nature’s countless, rare wonders. I know, that I am so rich with such experiences, many of which, I am the sole witness to. I know, that my problems are not real problems at all. I know, that my sorrow is not real sorrow. What I consider imperative, is not significant at all. There is more to life that the material, and the social. Vital, is what we never think about. The real ‘good’ is not good at all.
What I do is just a diminutive part of my obligation I must fulfil.
We all look at clichéd and forlorn perception of life no matter how different it seems, and what it means to us, but when do we understand it’s more than just that.
In the understanding of this phenomenal gift of nature, lies the key to our very existence, and I pray for this very miracle to happen to each one of us. To liberate us from the passé, hackneyed and tried, into the beautifully stunning world we stay in, but never live in…
But have you ever seen, while watching the same moon, a bird, appearing suddenly out of the blackness, cross paths between the telescope and the moon, seen as a dark silhouette to it’s bright surface, with wings, waxing and waning like the moon, flying across and disappearing back into the blackness it came from.
And I know, that I’m truly a witness to one or nature’s countless, rare wonders. I know, that I am so rich with such experiences, many of which, I am the sole witness to. I know, that my problems are not real problems at all. I know, that my sorrow is not real sorrow. What I consider imperative, is not significant at all. There is more to life that the material, and the social. Vital, is what we never think about. The real ‘good’ is not good at all.
What I do is just a diminutive part of my obligation I must fulfil.
We all look at clichéd and forlorn perception of life no matter how different it seems, and what it means to us, but when do we understand it’s more than just that.
In the understanding of this phenomenal gift of nature, lies the key to our very existence, and I pray for this very miracle to happen to each one of us. To liberate us from the passé, hackneyed and tried, into the beautifully stunning world we stay in, but never live in…
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
DraconianRAIN
It rains and it rains. And it rains too. And when it rains… it rains. The rains reign over my mind these days. The reigning good weather, the sudden freshness, the intoxicating smell of the damp earth, the insects flying about, looking for shelter… It’s a whole new bright world! And especially if it comes in midst of the warmest weather the city has seen.
The day is left to gather all the rain clouds in the surrounds, and the evening actually unleashes them on us.
Enthralled by the weather, we step out to recover, and enjoy the gentle fury of the heavens. It’s a time to reconcile, to remember the past, to relive all our past moments and relax in the warm friendship in the midst of the cool breeze. The three of us, we stroll about aimlessly, discussing our life and where it’s leading us to. We discuss about our friends, the past, our future, our classmates, experiences, and all things, which are simply just flowing, but don’t realise the intensity of our feelings towards them. We realise only much later. Getting drenched is the last bit of worry for us, as there are more important things to ponder and converse. For the hour and half we are together, our minds are one, our differences departed, and our thoughts pure and warm as can be. The clouds vary the intensity of their downpour, but does that deter us from an intense debate? No. For there is nothing more important that the three of us, for the three of us at that particular time. This time makes us forget about the worldly banalities and complexities and gives us the sublime feeling of a blissful existence. That prompts us to repeat the experience everyday, but the clouds disagree. What are they, but a welcome respite from our everyday routine, refreshment for the mind, body and soul? An occurrence, if repeated continually, would not remain enjoyable anymore…
I will ever cherish these moments I spent with my friends, because come tomorrow, I might never get a chance to enjoy like this, what I get so effortlessly now, because this might just become the luxury I cannot afford in the future…
The day is left to gather all the rain clouds in the surrounds, and the evening actually unleashes them on us.
Enthralled by the weather, we step out to recover, and enjoy the gentle fury of the heavens. It’s a time to reconcile, to remember the past, to relive all our past moments and relax in the warm friendship in the midst of the cool breeze. The three of us, we stroll about aimlessly, discussing our life and where it’s leading us to. We discuss about our friends, the past, our future, our classmates, experiences, and all things, which are simply just flowing, but don’t realise the intensity of our feelings towards them. We realise only much later. Getting drenched is the last bit of worry for us, as there are more important things to ponder and converse. For the hour and half we are together, our minds are one, our differences departed, and our thoughts pure and warm as can be. The clouds vary the intensity of their downpour, but does that deter us from an intense debate? No. For there is nothing more important that the three of us, for the three of us at that particular time. This time makes us forget about the worldly banalities and complexities and gives us the sublime feeling of a blissful existence. That prompts us to repeat the experience everyday, but the clouds disagree. What are they, but a welcome respite from our everyday routine, refreshment for the mind, body and soul? An occurrence, if repeated continually, would not remain enjoyable anymore…
I will ever cherish these moments I spent with my friends, because come tomorrow, I might never get a chance to enjoy like this, what I get so effortlessly now, because this might just become the luxury I cannot afford in the future…
Sunday, April 1, 2007
STAY... And help me to END the day
The Moon was yellow as it rose out from the horizon today. through the hazy city sky, it glowed warmly. But went cold as it rose further, with all the compassion dying out and and the cool moon rays lighting up the night.
She stood there in the evening of her life, asking for the moon to stay warm and compassionate, and to celebrate her life and whatever was left.
She was curious. gazing at the moon to reveal its mysteries, as the sky turned to black. And hence I remember:
STAY... And help me to END the day
Stay and help me to end the day.
And of you don't mind,
We'll break a bottle of wine.
Stick around and maybe we'll put one down,
'cause I wanna find what lies behind those eyes.
Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.
I rise, looking through my morning eyes,
Surprised to find you by my side.
Rack my brain to try to remember your name
To find the words to tell you goodbye.
Morning dues.
Newborn day.
Midnight blue turn to gray.
Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.
------------------------------ Pink Floyd (Obscured By Clouds)
She stood there in the evening of her life, asking for the moon to stay warm and compassionate, and to celebrate her life and whatever was left.
She was curious. gazing at the moon to reveal its mysteries, as the sky turned to black. And hence I remember:
STAY... And help me to END the day
Stay and help me to end the day.
And of you don't mind,
We'll break a bottle of wine.
Stick around and maybe we'll put one down,
'cause I wanna find what lies behind those eyes.
Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.
I rise, looking through my morning eyes,
Surprised to find you by my side.
Rack my brain to try to remember your name
To find the words to tell you goodbye.
Morning dues.
Newborn day.
Midnight blue turn to gray.
Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.
------------------------------ Pink Floyd (Obscured By Clouds)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Lunar dreams
It was on my mind for a quiet a while to photograph all phases of the moon. It's certainly an amazing feeling to observe the moon from here. And it makes me want to go to the moon and explore. It would look like a cold, desolate place with no one else around. I might not even like it there. But I would certainly like the earth as seen from there! The other side is always greener, isn't it?
Well, The series started from the 4th of March 2007 at 2130 hrs. IST. That was the night after the eclipse. Technically, the eclipse started on 4th March 2007 at 0230 Hrs IST. The moon looked totally fresh and glowing after the first full eclipse in almost 3 yrs! And ready to be photographed, and looked at.
The next night, the moon rose a little late, and it came up clear above all trees and buildings in the horizon at 2230 hrs. So, there I was on my terrace, romancing the moon again... How I just wait for the Moonrise...!
The moon started receding a little from the top, slow and shy, and I kept capturing it as it rose every day, for the next five days, anticipating it's augmented beauty every next night! It is truly one of the most dramatic sights, as the moon recedes, and disappears.
And what makes it even more captivating is the return to its original beauty. Full and bright, enchanting one and all, it goes on displaying the wonderful sight. Mother Earth got envious of all the attention to it’s satellite, and she sent a stratum of clouds to impede my vision of the moon. But it was no use. It shone brightly, between the skeletal layer of low clouds, giving me a near-perfect image of the moon. The sun still smiled on it’s children, benevolently yielding it intensity.
And with that, it completes half of its chapter, one that it reads over and over again, every month, posturing for me, while it was at it, and for countless others, around the world. I’m just one small microbe in this pool full of organisms, much superior than I. I’m waiting to evolve, to proliferate myself into different spheres of astral knowledge.
Countless generations of human beings have been witness to this wonder of nature. A wonder of time, gravity, light, and movement. But it takes more than an ordinary human being to understand it all. I wish I was one of the few who could. I wish I was one of the few to stand on the moon, walk, run and explore on it. See the earth from it and not feel the sheer agony for not being able to do so.
And consequently, as I reconcile in my limited understanding, and close my tired eyes for the day, I dream… my LUNAR DREAMS
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