It's the journey that matters.

I love photography and this week, I am celebrating my hobby by dedicatedly working on moments and memories captured during my recent travels through four incredible cities - Hyderabad, Bombay, New Orleans, and Savannah. I am in the middle of a work in progress and realize that learning never stops when it comes to photography. That's why I probably like it so much. It's just like with speaking a second language, you have to keep on using it to be good at it. And, it's also like yoga, it constantly makes you discover new things about yourself and pushes you to do better.

Another big reason to celebrate this week as my photography week is because I am getting a chance to meet Annie Griffiths, an incredible National Geography photographer. This is a first opportunity for me to meet a National Geo photographer - a profession I have incredible respect for and which I like to consider as my second-life aspiration. Annie for me is an ode to passion with a cause. She is someone who has used the power of her photography to help women and nature all around the world. Check out her work here.

While revisiting Annie's photos on the National Geo site today I felt the exhilaration, the same blood gushing I feel when I see a scene that I want to freeze in my camera in the best possible way, as I witnessed a perfect and delicate coming together of light, perception, and art. Photography is not about pointing and shooting. Photography is a life long practice, just like yoga or mastering a language, a practice that has it's perfect moments when light, perception and art meet in the right proportion and then, again, a new challenge begins. 

Life is exciting when the journey is more meaningful than the destination and all the things you do along that journey. I am inspired by Annie Griffiths' command over photography, but way more moved by what she has accomplished with it. 

There is no one destination. It's all about the journey.

School kids on a tour in Hyderabad 

 I met these adorable high-energy kids while visiting a palace in Hyderabad; they saw me with my camera and wanted me to take their pictures. My shutter competed with their zest and we ended up with some beautiful expressions. I was feeling sad that they would never really see these photos besides on my camera display. But, thankfully, dad managed to get an email address and I have emailed the shots over to their school somewhere in Maharashtra. I am hoping these kids will finally get to see their photos.

The Big Easy: My First Impression

On the road again!

I'm in New Orleans this week attending my annual Teachers' Conference. It's something to visit a city for the first time that has rebuilt itself so amazingly after being hit by such a destructive hurricane as Katrina. I got unlucky at the airport upon landing & lost my luggage, but our really informative and cheerful shuttle driver, Charles, made up for it all by giving us an awesome tour of the city while driving everyone to their respective hotels.

Charles has taken it upon himself to share with tourists his city's struggles with natural disasters as it's people fought and recovered from Katrina over the years. He takes pride in being a fighter but admits that there is a lot of fear for what may still come. The Big Easy's struggle goes hand in hand with it's music, food, and culture and it's important to understand how it all comes together like complex Cajun flavors.

I got reminded of what's going on in Japan right now as Charles pointed out places in and around New Orleans that were flooded, destroyed and rebuilt. Mother Nature takes her own course and we are to just follow. Charles lightened up, however, as we approached downtown and it was difficult to keep up with him as he named all his favorite restaurants and the various fried, cheese covered, grilled, and sauce smothered authentic southern dishes they serve. I couldn't get Shash out of my mind then and how much he loves Jambalaya and everything Cajun. What can a vegetarian know besides the heaven that uncovers in a real southern pecan pie?

All you've heard about Southern hospitality seems all true so far. After listening to Charles, I have a new appreciation for this city & it's people besides what I'm really here for - meeting lots of committed teachers and taking in some good jazz.

presenting... LearnEd

On the day of Lady Shakti (woman power), I'd like to present to you all my new education company "LearnEd," India & USA. LearnEd represents all my education related activities in India and beyond. 

Areas of Work

With what I have learned from my research, observations, and teaching experience during my time in India, I will be slowly commencing work in the following areas as a start in the Indian market while looking for collaborative activities between educators in the US and India.

• teaching English to college students and young professionals
• teaching professional development and motivation programs for college students and young professionals
• teacher training and development for college level instructors at colleges, institutes and unis
• in-service professional teacher development services for colleges, institutes and unis

Guiding Principles/Philosophy 

(a quick list for more context, esp. for those not in my field)

• teach by introducing new international trends and information in the area taught
• teach with examples and creative exercises to create a unique learning experience for students
• train to motivate and equip teachers with different/creative ways to present information to students
• foster creative and critical thinking in youth through well thought out, well sequenced, and reflective learning activities
• train to raise a new consciousness in higher-ed instructors about how learning happens and how it can be nurtured to see maximum results in students' progress

LearnEd was chosen with input from Shash, my dear husband, and some close friends. It seems to encompass all my education related activities now and in the future -

• learn·ed Adjective   /ˈlərnid/
  Synonyms:

  • adjective: erudite, scholarly, lettered, educated, wise, literate
  • (of a person) Having much knowledge acquired by study
  • Showing, requiring, or characterized by learning; scholarly
    • an article in a learned journal

Learn+Ed=the education of learning or learning consciously about learning 

A "learned" person is one who has acquired wisdom from conscious and experiential learning

Thanks for all your good wishes, blessings, and support. I'm now working on the company logo, website, and other related projects. More updates soon. The real work begins now!

Banganga - a forgotten Mumbai story!

 

In a hidden corner of Malbar Hill near Walkeshwar in rtizy south Bombay lies the ancient and full-of-life village of Banganga. It is quite contrasting in it's feel and life from the rest of "the hill" and takes you back in time a few centuries as you walk through the hilly and windy lanes and staircases of the little town that surrounds an old step well. I had a lovely late morning stroll through the area with my camera and a dear friend. It's a photographers delight and a traveler's source of many stories. 


To avoid being redundant, I'll quote the lovely description of this unique haven from a really interesting website that I didn't know existed until I searched the web for the history of Banganga. 

Sacred Destinations of the World

The Banganga Tank was built over a freshwater spring under the Silhara dynasty in the 14th century. The spring is believed to be an underground offshoot of the Ganges, so the waters are considered just as sacred and effective for healing as those of the great river itself. Legend has it that the spring was created by an arrow shot by Rama (the hero of the epic Ramayana), who rested here while on a mission to rescue his beloved Sita from the demon king's abode in Lanka. The tank's name derives from this story - Baan ("arrow") + Ganga (Ganges River).

I hope we can all appreciate and preserve these precious proofs of our glorious past. If you look hard, they are all over. 

Welcome the New Year with Fizzy Orange Cream Punch

This year my two close girl-friends and I decided we would celebrate our New Year's Eve with our parents at home. It was a warm, cozy, and fun-filled evening and of course, I enjoyed planning the menu for the night. The orange welcome drink was a spontaneous creation and hit among the ladies while the men stuck to less sweet beverages :). This is a simple, refreshing and cheerfully welcoming concoction and the sweetness level can be easily controlled. More importantly, it's super easy. Here's the recipe.

For eight 8 oz.  glasses as shown in photo -

You'll need:

• 5 glasses of pulpy orange juice (freshly squeezed is best, but Minute Maid works quite well too)
• 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 1 glass or 8 oz. Sprite (Sprite tastes better than 7 Up for this recipe)

Procedure:
Add the orange juice and vanilla ice cream to a jug. Blend for about 30 seconds with a hand blender until it gets foamy. Don't over blend; it might get too frothy. Top off with Sprite and stir lightly with a spoon.

Decorating and Presenting:
Put a small cut in the center of an orange wedge and hang it on the rim of the glass. I prefer stemware for it's elegance. Pass a paper umbrella or another tooth-pick decoration carefully through the middle of the orange wedge. You may decorate with a fancy stirrer or a cherry. Try not to add anything to the drink but decorate only on the glass rim with fruit.; keep the beverage plain and original in it's taste.
Serve within 10 minutes of preparing to keep the fizz.

Alternatives:
You can try this with most fresh or good quality packaged juices. Lychee juice is another of my favorites. You can also try this with mango, peach, or berry juices.

Enjoy!