Been away

...from my blog that is. But guilt draws me back to the adventure.
Laziness kicking in to an extent that I left this post as a draft a month back. Thats pushing it. So starting all over again.
Was a roadie for Synaps on their Campus Rock Idols gig in Hyderabad. Will tag along at the Bangalore and Manipal shows too.

Mysore Se

Sur Street does a cover for Antaragini's Mysore Se. Mukesh lpays the acoustic guitar and his percussionist plays the Cajon!

Avril Quadros does Bangalore

Hmmm... very nice voice... great stage presence... and she gave me dirty looks for clicking these snaps. But ain't they nice? But I think Chris Avinash walked away with the crowd. He is the most awesome entertainer I have seen in a long time. Way to go Chris!

Software magic with photographs

Yup! I am a sucker for stuff like this. HDR Software has a basic (and free) version called Photomatix that takes multiple photographs (two for the free version) of the same subject at different exposures and merges them intelligently to create some amazing images.


My first effort, rather amateur, thanks to the beer especially, is of Ulsoor (Bangalore) around 3 in the morning. Any comments, tips?

Some scalding hot coffee

Gonna count to ten
one is a revolver to your head
two, your feet that lead on
we are three together in your bed
four is for later
five continents
six half attempts
one after the other
will carry on
good, yeah
seven sins I witnessed
including me thats eight
in total I take back nine from you
and have had all ten
and me, I have enough art to spare

Synaps @ St. Josephs - Equinox 06

The Wall remix with the Block Rockin Beats

Rompecabezas de Aterciopelados

Asi es! Y asi mejor!

Helmet Rule

"You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it." - that's Mr. Fonda in the movie Easy Rider. Yeah, wind in your hair and the wide open roads ahead of you. But that's changing starting now in my city. With a helmet over my head to clamp out the smoke, the noise and as many claim, visibility. But doesn't it mean I am a lot more safer using a helmet now? Well, there are the believers and then there are the bare headed ones. Many countries and states inside many of them have varied stances on the use of the helmet for two wheelers. There are many takes on the usage of this foam filled plastic contraption that I will end up strapping over my head. Some say that it doesn't help in speeds above a 100 kmph. Others claim that there's no harm in protecting the most sensitive and important part of the human body. Others totally disapprove of it and deem it an instrument to clamp down on personal freedom. There are claims that using one actually increases the chances of being run down by larger vehicles. Some say its personal freedom of choice. Whatever it means to you or the guy ripping around on his bike on the streets, I am gonna strap on my helmet. Afterall, the damn thing saved my life once.

Synaps at Equinox (St. Joseph's Fest)

A very contemporary - The Philosophy of Sex

"I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy."
-Tom Clancy

"You know "that look" women get when they want sex? Me neither."
-Steve Martin

"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL."
-Lynn Lavner

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake whole relationships."
-Sharon Stone

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch."
-Jack Nicholson

"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet."
--Robin Williams

"Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself."
- Roseanne

"According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful."
- Robert De Niro

"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time."
- Robin Williams

Fact: TOI cares nothing about quality reporting

Fiction: They also claim to be the leading newspaper in many leading metros in India.
Proof: circled in the image (Main page headline news of TOI Friday, Oct 27th 2006)

Gayle through Australia

And how!? One man. Just one man, one quiet, calm and cool man. But what he did to the Australian team yesterday is pull off an almost impossible win. Just him. He was growling, on the move constantly, and nipping at the heels of Clarke, working him up, and getting into his psyche. He did get under his skin, the two warnings from the umpires to prove. Clarke getting worked up pushed Gilchrist on the other side to fall first. Things almost went out of hand towards the end of Gayle's spell, but some mistakes from him forced him to cool off. His spell didn't get him any of the wickets he wanted (his only one was of the dangerous Symonds) at the end but was enough to spark of the collapse of the Australian middle order. Super match! Super Gayle!

Cafe Tacuba - Puntos Cardinales

My favorite band. They are from Mexico and I have given them the credit of having redifined music for me. Yeah! that much.

Synaps at Zero G, Bangalore

Synaps - Soundcheck before the show.

Synaps at ZeroG

Synaps got a gig going at ZeroG on Friday. They ended up playing in the empty pool on the 10th floor and a frightened sound team that screwed up their sound as it was raining on and off. The still managed to pull off something energetic enough to get the audience into the pool! Great stuff guys. Do full electric shows and no acoustic stuff!

EL INCONSTANTE - Pablo Neruda

Los ojos se me fueron
tras de una morena que pasó.

Era de nácar negro,
era de uvas moradas,
y me azotó la sangre
con su cola de fuego.

Detrás de todas
me voy.

Pasó una clara rubia
como una planta de oro
balanceando sus dones.
Y mi boca se fue
como con una ola
descargando en su pecho
relámpagos de sangre.

Detrás de todas
me voy.

Pero a ti sin moverme,
Sin verte, tu distante,
Van mi sangre y mis besos,
morena y clara mía,
alta y pequeña mía,
ancha y delgada mía,
mi fea, mi hermosura,
hecha de todo el oro,
y de toda la plata,
hecha de todo el trigo
y de toda la tierra,
hecha de toda el agua
de las olas marinas,
hecha para mis brazos,
hecha para mis besos,
hecha para mi alma.
(I wouldn't translate this one)
(Sorry)
(But like its title, this one is about The Inconsistent Man)

Distracted men

she said she was painting her walls green
he said he was distracted
she said she'd be there at noon
he said that he loved the local cuisine
she said her kitchen was open
he said he'd bring some wine
and a friend
she later said the friend was a vulture
he said that he looked like one too
she said that he was a simpleton
he said that it was alright for her to think that way
she said it was nice to meet again
he said he reminded her of fresh green apples
she said he should explore the local cuisine more
he said he never noticed the twinkle in her eyes
she said that he had attention problems
he said he had left his heart behind
she said that she'd look anyway
he said that she should act her age
she said she thought she found his heart, elsewhere
he said nothing
she said that someone once said jealousy can't be infatuation
he said he'd pay attention to the local cuisine
she said that he was naive
he said he'd rather not notice
she said that he was playing hard to get
he said he'd rather miss the boat
she said she never pushed hard
he shrugged his shoulders
she said they'd have to go down that road
he said he hadn't packed
she asked how could it be wrong
he said there was nothing
she said she'd never change a thing anyway
she said he broke his heart
he said he never saw it coming
she called him a fool
he was ok with that
she said they needn't run into each other anymore
he asked her to stay a little longer
she smiled that winning smile
he said he hadn't noticed, again
she said she'd look in his kitchen
he said there was nothing in there
she went in and found his heart
he said he'd love for ever
she said he dare not break her heart
he said he won't forget
she laughed
and put the saucepan to the flame

Vedhoo at Lalbagh

Picnic time at Lalbagh for Vedho and me. Am still impressed with the place - organised, accessible and very well maintained.

Cebiche Monday!

Monday was a totally fruitful day - my bro managed to cook up some awesome cebiche at his place.

Allow me to convince myself

some part of me likes to lay down
and smell the grass
find peace with everything around
everybody and anything
absent-mindedly putting a smile on my face
feeling trippy and content
only getting a little edgy
when I get this urge
to spread the warmth
a tooth ache would give up
with the optimism and joy

the other part says that this
was laziness
and that I should get to know
the devil in me
the devil that I am

The most awesome acoustic guitar in a long time!!

Give me a little bit of your heart

At seventeen I found myself in another place. Strangers around me. What a wonderful place. Rich in culture, natural resources and complacent, happy people. I read that it is known as the heart of South America, Paraguay, land of the fearless and the absent Guarani. They went to war once, the terrible Triple Alliance War. Fought like the mad men they were, driven by a despot, against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay put together. From the two hundred thousand odd, only around twenty thousand men survived, that too because they were too old or young to go to war. What was once a magnificient land was left to the vultures.
What I saw was something incredible to believe at that time. This country could live of itself without a hassle. Why would German missionaries and Mormons buy land in the interiors and get lost there? They figured it was the perfect place to do just that, get lost. No trouble makers to stalk them, no advanced civilization and modern amneties to entice or lure them away from their lives.
I met many interesting people there. There was Silvio, the frustrated mechanical genius who could finally explain the difference between a 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine. There was Ruben, the young kid from a small village trying to make it big in the city. There was Gustavo, the gentleman from Uruguay who felt it compelling and necessary to be kind and gentle in a madhouse. There were the Castillo brothers, Ramon and Luis, local boys who had to live up to their madness - lewdity and honesty running through their blood like the beer available. There was Noelia, totally gorgeous, atleast to me, with that lisp that drove every guy crazy. There was me. Trying hard to learn the ropes from the very bottom. There were the crazy sisters from next door - Luisa, Elsa, and Mirtha. Wonder how many times I got daggers stuck into my back as I happily went over, invited by their brother, Raul, where the local boys always wanted to be.
I don't know if the weather made the people there crazy. Summer was hot. Incredibly hot - atleast 44 d.c. Then the rains that never stopped. Then the winter. I remember how my bones ached when the wind from the south came in. I was told that this is how it is in the pampas. Yes, I forgot, Asuncion, was part of the great pampas that stretched across 4 nations.
The soil was red and very rich. Silvio used to joke about how a tree would spring out from his shit if he ever made the mistake of doing it outdoors.
Raul lived in with Liliana downstairs. Liliana is this heavy person with beautiful features and Raul, was pretty tiny compared but had a heart of gold. Guess that's how they pulled through. Raul worked at the national power company, so we'd go out to the club every once in a while to play tennis under lights and get a glimpse of the city. Life was kinda settling in till I met Roberto and the gang from Villa Bonita.

the boy who paints portraits

I sit down to paint your portrait
and I cannot,
after studying you slowly
end up thinking
that missing
in my paints
are those intense colours that reflect a rare creature

I can not
capture your smile
recreate your look
but little by little

I think about you

You still return every time
and continue standing there, posing
with a lot of patience
because, and even though my canvas
remains blank

the hours
pass by flying
and very little progress
has gone into your portrait

I suspect
you're in no hurry
and its ok
to see things through little by little

I think about you

Entry. Andrea Ramsey’s Dreambook (Undated)

“There are no futures.
There are only streams of endless possibilities that collapse into one present as we rush head long into them. But even the present is an illusion, slipping from our grasp as we reach for it, becoming the past.
It is only the past that truly exists.
The past that scars our minds with memory.
With reverberations that dictate our lives.
With traces that haunt our eyes till death”.

The interesting things you find in odd places

With all the clutter that has collected between my ears over the past few years, I managed to remember that someone had said that I need to write to clear my head up.
So, will try and clear out the muck and grime by conveniently dumping it here on my blog.

You can use it.
You can ignore it.
You can laugh at it.
You can ignore it.

Till the first dump...

23rd December 2004

She might perplex you,
for a moment,
amaze you the next,
turn you around to face something disgusting,
push you around,
blow smoke in your face,
offer ladoos,
she is around you,
dancing the Thandava at a frenetic pace,
blood pulsing, heart-beat racing,
lazing on a charpoy,
in the bundles at the Thasildar's,
BPOs at midnight, break-neck speeds,
traffic jams, information freeways between paddy fields,
droughts laced with floods, beedis with speed,
brown, tan, white, black,
red, pink, green, saffron, blue,
allah, shiva, buddha, guru, infant jesus
camels, dogs, bullock carts,
her sinewy muscle drawing a plough across a fertile land of more than a billion
the land of contrasts,
the land that is ours,
this is my India,
My mother.
My mother's mother.

[Inspired by "Don't ever loose faith in India..." Sri Ram Goburdhun]

Cubic Tragedy

a 3D comical tragedy with a lady 'trying too hard'

BKF Dhwani 2006

Day 1 pictures:

Kyoorius Designyatra 2006

+ Andy Altman, why not associates. + Nick Bell, Nick Bell Design. + Peter Bi'lak, typotheque. + Neville Brody, Fontfont and Research Studios. + Vince Frost, frostdesign. + Paul Hughes, lava. + Sujata Keshavan, Ray+Keshavan. + Elsie Nanji, Ambience Publicis. + Rajiv Sethi, Asian Heritage Foundation. + Sudhir Sharma, Elephant design.

Paloliem Beach, Goa

Mornings being thirty

Es un peligro levantarse
cierto, cuando ya cumpliste los 30
son los recuerdos que te mandan a la mierda,
Un traguito no mas,
justo para olvidar, para dejar de recordar,
por unos momentos.
No los puede borrar,
son un parte definido de uno.
Por eso debes escuchar tu musica favorita.
Me quedo con mi pata Illayaraja o Miguel Bose.
Y tu? Con quien te levantas?

Synaps - Check This Side Up is out!!

Awesome stuff!. Check them out here. My favorites: 2. My Side Up 4. West Side Difference 6. Freedom 9. The Last Chapter

Morning on a train

Morning welcomes me with fresh smells,
of a million defaecating souls on the fresh dew,
innocently awaiting the cleanser from afar,
struck by a reminder of endless horizons already cluttered,
living off a land that is reluctant to give.
Home has no sweeter meaning right now,
as I smile at the petty thoughts of artistic inclinations,
rotting even before they ripen in my head.
The blue mountains wait, expectant,
wondering if another foster son,
might feel the pangs of a better home.
A heavy door slams my thoughts and those millions shut,
leaving nothing behind,
except for my nostrils filled with fumes and brake dust.

Kyoorius Designyatra 2006

Kyoorius Designyatra 2006 could well be the higlight for this year in Indian graphic design. Its got all the bells and whistles for a belter of an event. With the kind of speakers lined up, think its worth getting the whole 3HEAD design team out there.
The venue is NOT in Goa, but on the edge rather, sorta across the border from Karwar. But from the pictures we've seen, think it looks fancy. The happening Goa looks like a loooong drive from the resort. Well, the team and me will be packing up and getting away from Bangalore hustle-bustle for some madness and debauchery in Goa... sorry, this resort on the course.

Hospet and Hampi in 2 days

George and me visit Hospet & Hampi...