Lazy Sunday Photo- Purple Sunbird

Purple Sunbird in the Backyard

While the little bird at home was asleep I was making tea. I suddenly noticed this bird from the window. I ran to get the camera and remembered that it was lying somewhere else. Found it after a while and ran out. I thought it had gone away. Then I saw the Purple Sunbird sitting at this pole at the next house. I clicked in sports mode twice and then decided to try the manual mode. By that time it decided enough is enough and ran away.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Dove in the Backyard

Dove in the Backyard, Gurgaon

Stuck in a Tree!

A Kite Stuck in a Tree (Kati Patang)

I have been lazing around the house and yet itching to click some pictures. I walked out of the house thinking nothing much could catch my fancy but then I immediately saw this kite stuck in the tree. Waited for the sun to come down a little and then took a few shots.

I envy those who can fly kites. Whenever I tried I would cut my fingers! I wonder where this one came from because not too many kids fly kites here. Must have come from the colony behind ours.

There is a Hindi movie (with quite a few hummable songs) called Kati Patang.

I wonder how to translate the phrase kati patang in English. Anyone? All I can come up with is 'the broken kite' and 'stuck kite'! OK if I really think hard then 'the kite adrift.' Pathetic!

Another Nest with an Egg

Another Nest with an Egg in the Backyard

Water Mellon in the Backyard

Water Mellon

This picture was taken a few years back. As usual I threw some seeds in the backyard and soon enough this fruit came up. But after that how ever much seeds I threw I never have managed to get another one.

A Young Mango Sapling

A Young Mango Sapling Sprouting Due to Rain

Whenever I eat a mango I throw away the seed in the garden. So when the rain falls (and it fell in buckets yesterday, led to water logging all around and added 45 minutes extra to my commute due to traffic jams) they start sprouting. But my garden is so small that after a while I will give these away. There is just no space for me to grow mangoes in my garden. But while it is there, it looks so beautiful!

The Joys of a Zoom Lens- Laughing Dove

Laughing Dove

It rained four drops on Sunday but even that brought out quit a few birds. This Laughing Dove was sitting on the ledge of the house behind ours. Oh! The joys of having a zoom lens finally. I wonder why it took me too years to buy a zoom lens after buying my SLR.

Flowers on a Lemon Tree

Flowers on a Lemon Tree

It Started with Henna Leaves

I went to my backyard to pick henna leaves (I use them as a conditioner for my hair more than on my hands). The sun is getting hotter day by day and I was standing still for a while, soaking it in. Then I ran for my camera (the smaller one, as I thought it would be faster to operate).

Henna Shrub

I was running for the camera because there were a lot of black bees real big ones and I had to take a picture! Sounds simple, isn't it? They were sitting quite low till I didn't had the camera.

Flowering Beans

And when I got back with the camera, first the 'battery exhausted' sign came. So, had to run inside to change the batteries. In the meanwhile all the black bees decided to hang on the top of the branches and remain there till eternity.

Now both my cameras don't have good zoom. So there I was standing in the sun waiting patiently for the bees to climb down, so I could take a could picture. At first, I did this patiently.

Then I started to fret and fume. Then I decided to try the zoom anyway and I managed to click at least 10 pictures where the bee managed to vanish out of the frame just at the moment I decided to press the click button. One such picture is shown at the top of this section.

Beans from the Backyard

Then I decided that there were a lot of beans hanging low and I would pick them first. Then I decided that I will forget about a good picture and try to get a black bee in the frame anyway. They kept buzzing loudly all the while on the top branches out of the range of my camera's zoom.

Black Bea on Flowering Beans

So after half an hour I managed to get on black bee in the frame. Moral of the story is to buy a good zoom lens for my SLR and click those bees sitting on the top branches from distance by zooming in within five minutes. Or so I hope.

Them Doggies Again and a Few Cows as a Bonus

Cow with Big Horns

Today evening when I was coming home, I stopped on the way to pay my phone bill (I still don't pay it online but that is another story). It took me a while to pay it in person. Still, I decided to buy some Sweets (Jalebi, there goes my watching weight again) and Samosa to take home.

It is a typical corner street sweet shop with a lot of people standing there and eating stuff. Suddenly I heard a girl shrieking at the top of her voice. I turned around and saw a dog with collar around that girl, she was eating a rasmalai along with a young lad. Both of them came near where I was standing.

That got me a little worried. If the dog would have followed them, it would have been my turn to skriek as I am equally scared of them doggies. Luckly the dog decided to sit exactly at the same spot and I started to hurry along. Suddenly two stray dogs moved in our directions and the young girl started running ahead and shrieking at the top of her voice once again.

Then the unthinkable happened. The girl was so miserable (and the guy not to be seen around amid this chaos) that I held her hand and told her nothing would happen, and that she should clam down. I added, "I understand, I am equally afraid of the dogs." That caught her attention and she stood still. Then I asked, "where is your friend?" She was still incoherent. So, I asked her if I could drop her somewhere. That is when she regained her senses and said she was fine and smiled.

I moved on. And then nearby I saw the cow (see the picture above) with the big horns! I often meet such cows when I am driving. But today I was on foot and had the Nikon Coolpix in my handbag (it was too dark to take a decent picture with my mobile). So as a bonus, I clicked the cows and came back home quite happy. I mean it has never happened before that I consoled someone because she was scared of dogs!

Can't get Mumbai Out of my Mind

Alka (yes, she is my sis too) collects a lot of articles about Mumbai attacks and its aftermath.

See if you want to be the champion of a cause don’t try to look good. Your cause will suffer. Applying make up is a crime if you are carrying out a march. You don’t represent India. That what BJP’s Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi thinks.

Salam NSG

Salam NSG

Looking at the commandos of the NSG at Mumbai (MARCOS, Army, Other Security Forces too) I was wondering what kind of a job it is that when everyone is running away from a place, these guys are storming into that place! Hats off to all of you out there.

A few years back I used to work at a place that was somewhat close (many miles away actually) from an NSG compound. They are said to have so many jammers (communication jamming devices) installed that our internet reception would always be patchy (at least that is the excuse IT department gave to us) and it felt quite annoying then. Now, I would say may they add 100 more jammers, if it helps their cause even a bit.

Will You Cancel Your Holidays to India?

Will You Cancel Your Holidays to India? It is a very logical question to ask and it has also been asked on Indiamike. The responses are so heartening. I know it is a very small database of potential tourists but it is still something. Below I am quoting one response by member Goanmad-

Cancelling? No way!

We're flying on to Mumbai on Tuesday 2nd December and spending 5 weeks in India.

Having grown up in Birmingham during the 1970's we were constantly under the shadow of IRA terrorism and had no choice but to live our lives as normally as possible.

Mumbai Chaos- Words Fail You!

So much mayhem, so much chaos. Words are so inadequate to describe what is happening in Mumbai.

PS. I do not have access to TV till evening but did someone even ask the Home Minister Shivraj Patil to resign?

Lazy Sunday Photo- Teddy Bear Hanging High to Dry

Teddy Bear, High and Dry!

My niece's teddy bear after a was caught my eye while it was hanging high in the balcony to dry. She is the typical kid who likes to pay with grown up stuff (read cell phones, handicams, laptops, computers and musical instruments) rather than toys!

As Seen on a Vehicle- BPO Shaadi (Marriage)

Saw this on a call center cab, how appropriate, BPO Shaadi!* And yes, I typed the website URL and it works! No I did not explore the website in any detail :D

* Shaadi means marriage in Hindi

Cement Mixer Growing Grass

The Cement Mixer has not been moved for such a long time that grass has started growing around it. There is so much construction in Gurgaon. They are constructing everything but the roads.

Sunset along the Railway Tracks- Gurgaon

Sunset along Railway Tracks, Gurgaon

Another Lazy Sunday Photo- Accessories for a Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Tea, TV Remote, Namkeen and Newspaper for a Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday Photo- Another Bird's Nest in the Backyard

Dove's eggs in a Nest

I was picking up basil leaves to add to my tea when suddenly a dove fluttered and flew away. A little investigation (without disturbing any leaves or branches) revealed these two eggs in the nest. This is the second time I found a bird's nest in my backyard.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Birds Nest

The Dove in its nest in my backyard

The Young Chicks

Moonlit Night

Moonlit Night

Another picture with my old Nikon 3200. I think it would be a full moon today but I doubt that I will take out my camera. But come weekend and I will be armed with two cameras for at least two days.