Helga Paris

An exhibition organized by the Institute for the Foreign Cultural relations Stuttgart, Germany at our Durbar Hall, Ernakulam.

Artist : Helga Paris, Photography

World Cup Champions of 2014

Undoubtedly Germany was the best team of the tournament. They did deserve the world cup. The German boy made the best use of the facilities and opportunities provided by their country and came out as the World Champions.

Congratulations Germany!

Less fortunate countries, in terms of facilities and opportunities, their players brave the odds and come out riding on their talents and skills sometimes win the world cup for their teams and personally get noticed by the rich football clubs of Europe and merit a contract. A lucky break for them in many ways.

The Latin American football will always be my favourite as they resemble our India life too. I am glad Argentina did not go down against the mighty Germans like the way Brazilians did. But then this is the decade of European football. Italy, Spain and now Germany.

The ball rolls on justily.

World Cup 2014

In a couple of hours the final will be on. Everybody is predicting a German win. True they have played their best and is certainly the best team in the tournament so far. But for someone like me who started following the World Cup from 1986 when they started relaying WC for the first time in India, Maradona magic of that year is still something I cannot forget.

So, my heart is with Argentina, a nation like ours who is struggling with their development to  keep abreast in the modern world.

Germany always has been a very good football team. There wont be any surprise if they win.

May the best team win. 

Monsoon

The monsoon arrived on our coast few days ago. Days of Rain and umbrellas are back. And ofcourse too many pee breaks. :)

Now that we are less dependent on the land for our life needs, monsoon did not have the fear punch as it used to have when we toiled in the fields and on the lake for bread. Office work and safe living circumstances has cut short the ritual aspect involved with monsoon which was the face mark of the many religion that we follow in our land.

Still, I cannot help being thankful and grateful as one more monsoon is sweeping through our country ensuring the existence of life which are depended on the natures natural cycles of season.

Perhaps that is what we mean by Enviornment Day.

 

Views around Kochi

Huge tanks being transported from Harbour to the factory resting on the roadside.

Heavy duty trucks that pulls these Bhim like tanks across the streets of Kochi.

Everything

No matter what we do, who we are, if we are giving our best, then we are everything to  our India.

Na Mo

With Narendra Modi, as the New Prime Minister, India enters a new phase. Even with neutral political affinity, I am hopeful, this new leadership will bring about the change to make India  to be a country to live in and die for.

Our democratic process have grown from strength to strength and the Election Commission did an excellent job to ensure the democratic process is perfectly operated. A proud achievement. Within no time, I hope and pray, each aspect of India excel.

Good Luck India! Maa to all of us.

South India

Finally a chance to visit South India and some of the Archaeological Survey of India Monuments and World Heritage sites. Wonderful experience.

Nellore, Andhra

Nellore looks peaceful these days. After the Telegana bill passed in the parliament, security forces were deployed at every corner of the state. In Nellore too we can see them at every main junction.

Peace prevailed.

Lost for long

Let me share a wonderful experience I had while I was working in Saudi Arabia in the early 2000's. I was with a dairy company called Al Marai, doing extremely well and happy with life. In Saudi as you know, there were not much entertainment and I was leading a very monkish life when the satellite channels on TV happened to me.Even though I was working there for awhile then, it was only in that period I could afford to have a TV and a dish antenna without hurting the money I sent home to my parents every month. Till then, my imaginative world was the English books I have read and the English movies I have seen in India. The world outside and the people and their language and culture has always fascinated me. So naturally, you can guess, how happy and excited I was when the satellite channel offered me the whole new world of European TV.

I remember, some times I have spent my whole weekend just watching TV, the documentaries, serials, movies and news without ever being bored. I even tried to learn some new languages much to the ire of my colleagues who thought it was a glorious waste of time, I should be trying to pick up some new accounting qualification like ICMA, which the Irish company I was working for was encouraging all of us to do whole heartedly.

In one of the channels, I don't remember exactly which one Arte or TV5 or DW, HRT or the many Italian channels, in one of them they used to show a movie about Arabs or with some Arab back ground which I used to enjoy very much. Since I did not understand the language, I did not know what the movie was about, which language they were playing it in, the only thing I know was it has so much of stories within the movie in different cultural context and I liked it very much.

After my time was up in Saudi and during my rest of the travels, I kept searching for that movie, even in these later years, most of the art stuff which I have come across and learned about was basically from the search for this movie. Sadly, I never came across the movie, which was dear to me not only for the movie itself, but for the time of my life, which I used to have when both my parents were alive.

Surprisingly, can you believe, I stumbled on the very movie Yesterday while reading a blog www.atomiccaravan.blogspot.in

It is Paolo Pasoloni's "Arabian Nights".

:)

It also made me realise, I am way out of the main stream when it comes to keeping myself updated about the world I live in.

History

Medival History

Amazing how some good hearts have stored information for all to use. I was recently compiling notes on Indian history and was amazed by the quantity of information available.

New Year

Arvind Kejriwal is new hope. India trying to break free from the conventional stereotypes of politics and trying to do something different. We need this kind of creative and original thinking in all walks of life. The existing and age old political parties will redefine themselves and come back with a different perspective which will be very good for India, they will. Perhaps thats the greatness of India.

I am hopeful and looking forward to a new India, emerging as a Nation and model for the world.

My recent inclination for the historical studies is certainly influencing my thoughts for the spirit of India to break free and be what it once was.   

Comedy in life

Jerry Seinfeld makes one laugh. Without sex or swearing he does it neatly. Jerry Seinfeld talkshow was one of my favourite on Tv when Star plus recast the show here in India.

He has stopped his regular shows and has moved on to something very new and creative. That is the best part of him, he loves his craft and keeps learning and reinvent it very creatively. That is also what keeps him going.


Comedians in the car