My first photography workshop

Those who know me know that I am not a person who will just like that attend a workshop or a lecture out of my way. Even though I am interested in Photography and have a DSLR and a good telephoto lens, I hardly know the technical details of the same. I like taking photos and I know my way through the instrument and happy to experiment and get some good shots from time to time. So when my friend suggested this photography workshop for basics of Lenses and Exposure for DSLR, my first response was "No". Nothing new there isn't. But then she did this thing for which I am grateful to her. She said she will give me company if I am willing to try it. So we decided we will go.

It was on 24th March 8.45 am, a Sunday, which is a day when I get up no earlier than 9 am. So by the time I got ready I was craving for my cup of tea which was not ready in my guest house. I could hardly keep my eyes open and my brain functioning. Thankfully when we registered there ourselves they first went ahead and gave us our breakfast and the cup of tea I really really craved. Once that was in, all my senses were awake and ready to taken in the lecture. The instructor was a well experienced and well traveled person. We had just one break for tea and the lecture. I learned quite a lot yday. Because I was doing a few things without even knowing what they were or what it meant on a picture. I wouldn't have done this session without a company and thank you my friend for that. For starters it was relaxing and cool. Now I know a few more tricks to play around with my DSLR.

They have the tutorials here , in case anyone is interested. Interestingly I saw equal number of women in the class and that was very refreshing.

Happy Clicking....

Closed

Yesterday I realized how much I have been shutdown and closed in my own cocoon without any idea of what is going around, for almost a month. Work,books,movies and music along with basic living necessities. That is all I have been doing. I haven't switched on my TV for more than a month now. Not only in Hyderabad but also in Bangalore. I even forgot to recharge it.

First it was my brother who called up from Bangalore saying that there is a bandh against the petrol hike for two days (two days) and I was in office without a slightest clue about it. Because it was hardly anything like bandh in Hyderabad. And the past two days didn't have a slightest impact what so ever here for us. But guess in Bangalore it was different because people have been working from home, to be on the safer side. And then yesterday when I was having my official call @ 7.30 pm, I was getting calls from my friends and family repeated. Then my brother in law came online to ask me how the situation was. I was not aware of any situation that needed my attention, except my current official call of course. That is when he told that there had been some blasts in Hyderabad and that things were on high alert. I was dumbfounded. I never realized that I was that closed from the world I am living. I never really liked watching the news, because it gets to me to see the way they exaggerate things so I had taken to glancing to papers occasionally. But for a couple of weeks now, even that got reduced. I did not even reply to him for some time. Because I had to respond to something in the call. He as usual knew that I never knew about the blasts. He was the first to inform me. After the call ended, I called my friend (thanks to you dear) and my parents to inform them that I am ok and safe in my place.

But yet, I am here in office working as usual, as if nothing happened. It is a bit sad that there is nothing I feel for these kind of things anymore. This is not the first blast in a city where I have been, in fact I have been there and heard a blast very near to my house during the famous Coimbatore blasts...That itself did not terrorize us, with a car full of bomb that would explode anytime. So this did not have any impact at all. Its sad that many people died in this and I still don't have a clue as to why and what happened. I did not feel the need to switch on the TV even now. I read some details in the paper before coming to office. I had long stopped feeling guilty about a lot of things and I know that this makes me a little selfish, but I guess I should at least know a little about what is happening around. Time to look around a bit.

பரளிக்காடு - Eco tourism based Picnic Spot

பரளிக்காடு  - இந்தப்பெயரை இதுவரை நான் கேட்டதே இல்லை. The original plan was for Watrap in Virudhunagar District, but as usual the plan got changed the last minute. Where my brother is involved, there can be no plans.. It is good in one way for my over disciplined mentality at times but also bad that he tends to do this every single time :). But then I always have this belief that if something doesn't go our way, that means that something better is on the way or atleast the one that was not meant to be would not have given us the same pleasure as we thought it would have. And this time again it was proven right. We were supposed to be in Watrap on Saturday (no moon day) and guess what, there is a temple there in Sapthagiri hills, which got around 3 lac devotees during the thai amavasai day this year. So if we had been there, it would not have been our relaxed trip just as we had planned. So good that the plan got changed , not cancelled. And that is how the trip to Baralikadu happened.

It was suggested by my brother in law, who had heard of this eco-tourism thingy and asked us to check it out, even though the water levels are less. They also have a trekking as part of this package. But since it was much near to our home (almost an hour and half journey by car), everyone wanted to join (except my parents). Now it became a family picnic. And guess what, since my dad is not joining, we would be driving on our own. And everyone needed a break. So total of 5 adults and 3 children packed in our car started from home at around 8.15 am.
Route taken: Mettupalayam road - Karamadai bus stand - Take left on Velliangadu road (just opposite Karamadai Ranganathar temple) - Right on Thollampalayam road. The roads are very nice till the end of the Mettupalayam jurisdiction but right after that its dusty with lot of pot holes, gravels .. well practically no road at all. You have a few hair pin bends to climb over a small hill and come back down. The view is good from there (I did not drive this area. My driving got restricted to the plains..because honestly with the kids in the car, I don't want to take chances). We also enter the forest range crossing a check post. At the end of the check post you have two ways to go. Left to Ooty (a different route to Ooty if you want to take the least traveled path) and on the right to Pilloor Dam and Baralikkadu boating place which is on the Athikadavu river. But since there are no roads, we got delayed. It was supposed to be a hour and a half journey but got extended to almost 2.15 hrs (discounting the 20 mins break in Periyanayakan palayam for the breakfast)

When we land there we see that there is a bus which had tourists and 2 cars. Since this is a weekend activity and only limited and already reserved people are allowed, it is less crowded. The only person handling the activities there is the Forest Officer and a bunch of tribal ladies who are there to help with food. The place looked amazing. Inside the forest you come across a water body with such a nice place to rest. They had swings and chairs and rope cots and wind blowing through those trees throwing the dried leaves around.. Wow that was so so relaxing. They have nothing around, except for those tribal settlements a few kms from there (where they cook and get us the food). They have restrooms built and kept clean too.

They don't even ask you for the money unless you are done with everything. The Forest Officer was very kind and  nice and asked us to enjoy our time as there was already a group who have gone for boating and that it would take an hour or more for them to come back. We were served with sukku coffee, which was very tasty and each of us took place in the swing and were having fun. The kids were also enjoying themselves. Only that I was not allowed to swing because both my first niece and my nephew wanted to be with me and that swing build on the tree barks was so small that I cannot balance them both.

We fed the kids and got them ready for the boating. We were given very nice and clean life jackets (except for the kids) and each coracle which is not the simple bamboo one, but built for sturdiness, hosts around 4 adults. So we split up into group of two and headed in our own coracles. No points for guessing in which coracle my first niece and nephew were riding :). It was hot (panguni veyil palla ilukumnu solluvaanga... the same veyil dhaan..) but the presence of water and my coolers made it bearable for me. It wasn't sweaty..just the heat and dehydration due to exertion. They take you around the lake and its always a pleasant experience to be in water. Seems like this place is there for almost 7 years now but not much crowded as they have restricted access. This year the monsoon is very very less and hence less water now. The water tastes good. My 2nd niece on the other coracle is adamant that she will have her hand in the water (she just turned one) and whenever my brother removes here away from water, you can hear here wail so loud that it echoes :) and then you place her hand in the water , her sound switches off..

The other two in my coracle were very good and quite. My first niece was little afraid of touching the water and slowly she warmed up to it. My nephew did not want to take any chance.. He was happy jumping between his mother, father and me.

They took us to a place almost near the dam and left us for some resting. This place was uninhabited (except for a skull of a huge animal lying there) and is thick in vegetation. We walked around in the wild for some time until we were not able to control the kids who were beginning to run around. Some one heard some rustle in the trees and started panicking about snakes being there and stuff. God.. some one was really getting scary in our group (it wasn't me anyway) and then we started heading back. On our way back we started to get some shades and got to see some nice birds, even a kingfisher (sadly couldn't take a photo). Kids started getting hungry (it was almost 2.15 pm) and so more crankier. When we landed back, they had started serving food. So both mom's went ahead to feed their respective children and we started having our lunch and saving the moms the food when they are ready. The food was really very good. Chapathi, kurma, veg rice, raitha, keerai kootu, curd rice, ragi balls and chicken gravy for non vegetarians (served in a separate place) along with bananas. They had water also. It was almost an hour or so by the time we were done (and we were the last of the lot to finish off and pack for the other place). We paid the Forest office (350Rs per head) and started our way to the entrance of the Athikadavu area where we have to take a left to go a few kms for seeing the streams and where we are allowed to take bath.

Ideally, if we want to do trekking, we can started from the place near a bridge which comes between the stream and the boating place and walk down the section of the stream. But since they had elephants coming in that area recently (even we saw the elephant toe prints on the sand near the stream in an isolated area) they did not want us to do the trekking. You need to walk to the stream which is more dehydrating because of the heat and I am so amazed that the kids too walked. If we had to carry them, we would have felt more tired. Except for the 2nd niece, both the kids were very happy to walk till the stretch. Then when we came to the stream, we saw the other group (around 10-15 people) there. So we tried some place a little further up and came to a very quite place where no one was around. We spread the mat we had carried and fed the kids they evening milk and relaxed while my brother and brother in law went for a bath some place a little away from where we were. It was cool and shady and very relaxing and kids were very happy playing there. The same someone got really scared hearing the screeches of the monkeys somewhere above and since we were told that elephants had been there the day before yesterday for water, it drove wild. Thankfully we had two dogs who were guarding us the whole time :)

After around 5 we started heading back. Our car which was cleaned before our trip was so muddied and dusty, I was sure my father was going to have a fit. But we cannot help it because the roads were that bad. I drove in the plains again for some time and then when it was getting late for the kids for their dinner (it was around 7 pm) my brother took over and drove like his usual self (i.e. crazy) and we reached home by 7.30 pm. We were all dead tired and exhausted. But altogether a nice day out.

At times I feel like quoting my niece (first one).."veetuku holiday" she would say if she doesn't want to go home but keep roaming around ;)

Now is not the right time to visit. Some time after a good monsoon and a little warmer climate would be very apt for this place. And we should make the reservations beforehand because they do not allow more than 80 per day to this place.

Photos are present here.

Overheard....

I really wanted to finish off my trip report to Baralikadu, but something that happened yesterday made me write this up and then complete my other post :)

What would you do if you happen to listen to a one-sided phone conversation of someone near by? Because honestly, I have never been able to close my ears and not listen. All I do is keep a poker face as if I am not bothered with their conversation and if it is interesting try to get the story behind it, else just space out. I don't know how wrong it is morally or ethically, but since it is not harmful to anyone, I don't give a damn. Yes, this post is about such a story that I overheard yesterday during my trip from airport to my room in the Aero Express.

So here goes the story (even though it is not mine.), but I need to tell you how much I have gathered just by listening to the one sided conversation of this guy, whom I did not even see, because he was sitting in the seat behind me.

The guy, say X, calls his girl, say Y, who has finally said the word 'YES' for the marriage proposal (arranged) and asks her if it is really a 'Yes' because his friends want to know the result and when his marriage is going to take place. X is working in Hyderabad, whereas Y is working in Bangalore. He is a non-vegetarian and she is a vegetarian and is not a fan of cooking, but if required she can experiment (based on his response), to which he replies that he is not a fan of research in cooking and that it will be better if they can have non-veg outside and that she wont be bothered with cooking for him (very considerate of him there ;) ). He is residing with 4 friends and his next door neighbor is a group of 5 North Indian Girls. Since he has been here for some time now, his Tamil is rusty and it doesn't match the way she speaks. He would need some time to get that slang. He is pretty good with Telugu (even though both of the languages he spoke had the same slang.. according to me). He wanted her to check out a 3 BHK house in Bangalore and how much that would cost in the rent, because he doesn't have any idea about Bangalore at all. He has a Platina Bike in his home town (he did not say which place..even though he traveled from Coimbatore..) and that he uses Shared Auto's in Hyderabad. But after moving to Bangalore he can get a car so that they can make the trip to Hyderabad which is only 5-6 hrs of journey to visit his parents. If that happens, then he can kill two birds in one stone, because that would restrict his parents to come and visit/stay with them in Bangalore which would mean they can take a 2 BHK house and also they can plan their visit to their parents in Hyderabad at their leisure so that they can cook for them instead of the other way round, which would be putting the pressure on the girl (even though I liked the way he was protecting the girl, I did not like the way he manipulated his parents.. too mean...when will guys learn to balance?).

During this talk, suddenly he gives a gasp and asks the girl if she got burnt, because she was cooking dinner, which amused him and then he told her that it will be better if she concentrates on the cooking than multitasking with talking (and I thought, the story will end there and I will be relieved, but nope..) X scolds Y that she has to take care while cooking and he will feel better if she worked less and let her roommate do the cooking while they can talk. He was like 'what kind of friend is she..ask her to cook for you naa.. u take rest' (God.. I felt like screaming at him...and then they resume). Y asks if he always this jovial, to which X replies that he is generally very humorous and easy going, but if Y wants seriousness he can be that too. (Really ?) X says that his parents have warned him that he should not be talking anything about anyone in the family to Y yet, and since he is not aware of these kind of family politics he has no idea why they said such a thing to him  and he would prefer to be shielded away from those kind of things. X also says that his parents are a little clingy and they would definitely like to visit very frequently after marriage.

And then finally, he asks her if it is really a Yes to the marriage and is relieved to hear that she really meant it and that he is 'The One' for her.

Total time of the chat: 15 mins (excluding the 2-3 mins talk to his friend who had called in between to check out his location)

I was very surprised to really formulate the whole stuff just by listening to his one sided dialogues. I think this can be a theme for a nice experimental movie (telling a story through a one sided phone conversation...;)). I understand his need to be close to this girl and all that stuff.. come one I have been there, done that etc.. but the things which I have not done and which I don't like is...giggling..Why on earth was he giggling for every sentence he speaks.. Seriously...that was the most irritating thing he did. Do all guys do that when they talk to their arranged marriage based fiance's ? After that 15 mins of talk, there was dead silence.... I don't know why I was amused and relieved. If I was little bit sassy, I would have done two things while getting down
a) turn around and wish him a very happy married life
b) and tell him that women (mostly) do not like men giggling and that he has to tone it down next time he talks to her
But since I am not that person, I quietly walk away without a glance of this stranger who let out a part of his life to me over the bus journey. 

LOL

As much as I was known for laughing with my mouth closed in the early stages of my life, I am well known for laughing out loud, literally, now. My brother mocks me that I laugh like the devil (the full throat sound thing) but my niece and nephew always find my laugh as a reason to laugh loud and giggle ;). So there goes my worst and best critics. And when we three friends get together in Bangalore, well, all hell breaks loose and someone noticing us from far away might think of us as asylum cases, because all three of us laugh so loudly and we would never care. But yesterday while watching the  கடல் movie in the theater, only myself and the so called calmer friend (who does start the joke...but has the ability to laugh silently or have a plain face after telling it) laughed so much that we nearly pissed off the guys sitting on either side of us. The movie was so terrible (except for some brilliance in some places) that we sat there mocking it and laughing on our own much to the chagrin of the people nearby. The 'big' old man sitting on the side of my friend just gave up hope after some time. But the other guy sitting beside me, almost went to the extent of not being anywhere remotely near me..so as to say that he almost sat on his friend or at least on the arm rest dividing him and his friend. I never thought I frightened anyone like that with my laugh. But yesterday I did that too :).. Yippeee!!!
If we had our other friend also then it would have been much more fun.

At times I do feel a little bit odd to be the only one who does laugh loud, but that is something I had started doing some long time back as a conscious decision because I had this habit of closing my mouth with a cloth while laughing. When you really feel like laughing whole heartily that kind of habit is very annoying. But I did that for a long time. And later I really felt that I had had enough of my silent laughing. So I had to really make it a very very conscious thing to not do that and break that mold. Now even though it is annoying (to others) I hardly feel the need to curb it. It feels very relaxing. And come on, after all these years, I think I have earned the right to laugh as I please haven't I ;)

One quote which relates to me in this aspect from a book I read:

“And I have one of those very loud, stupid laughs. I mean if I ever sat behind myself in a movie or something, I'd probably lean over and tell myself to please shut up.” 
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye