French Pipe Waterproofing System

Dr.Ravindra Subbanna French pipes, a photo by lavannya on Flickr.

Dr.Ravindra Subbanna's house was my first project at Mistrys the day I joined the office and its a project that's been with me ever since that June 2003. We have renovated and redone the house so many times over the years.

We had proposed a large basement for Dr.Subbanna as the requirement was a lot and the site was an odd piece of land located though beautifully right next to a large park in RMV layout, Bangalore.

Sadly RMV layout is essentially a filled up lake and the water table is very high. This layout like many others in Bangalore have the reverse problem when it comes to Rain water. Dr.Subbanna's basement was always flooding located on the lowest point of the entire layout. For years he complained about it to me. Suffering plenty during rains. We decided to solve the problem once and for all.

The French pipe system is a popular technique of water proofing a basement abroad. Having had theortically learnt about it at Biome, we decided to incorporate the same after some research and study at this site.

Its a simple system where pipes of a good diameter are placed in a grid over a good base of soling. The pipes are perforated on the sides to allow water to fill into them, and the slope at which the pipe is placed allows for water to flow in a particular direction when water table rises towards a water tank or a recharge well and this water in turn can be pumped out once the water tank is full.

This system allows the water to naturally move and therefore disallows it from rising into the walls and into the flooring voids and distrupting the structure in turn.

Today after 2 years of incorporating the system Dr.Ravindra Subbanna expresses the relief he feels from the worry of his flooding basement. There has not been a single leak into it ever since.

More images of the house are here

GAINING GROUND OFFICE

GAINING GROUND - BEFORE, a photo by lavannya on Flickr.

Like most spaces one rents out in Bangalore Gaining Ground Investment Consultant's newly rented out space was a single BHK house which was to be used as office premises in the simplest way possible. Thanks to the influences I've had while being raised there's this uncanny pleasure one derives from renovating a space and giving it a completely new face.
Ofcourse the concept of simplicity and contemporary have to be a part of what we do but to bring Ravi Kumar and Kshitija's working style into the personality of the new office space was also important.

In a small budget and in 2 weeks our team worked out a little of the electrical points, a simple false ceiling to add lighting, painted the place white with a highlight wall in blue from Gaining Ground's Logo and put a simple flooring that brought in warmth.

Cycles and Dasera

Through the entire trip to Nagavalli yesterday, 16th Oct '10, I was preoccupied with checking out the cycle decorations around the villages that we crossed on the road trip. For obvious reasons I am preoccupied with Cycles and the color Orange and then Dasera and the excitement that I saw amongst the young cycle owners to fancy up their bicycles was infectious!

There are these small and big mirrors, colorful spiky things you can put around the wheel, these plastic roses that get fixed to the centre of the cycle or wherever one pleases, these plastic covers for various parts of the cycle, seat covers and covers for the rod in front, glittery tassles and reflectors in the shape of a heart. Each reflector comes in two bright colors. So much variety to pick from all these. Starting from Rs.5/- a piece.

The kids and young boys all along the way were proudly displaying their newly bought wares on their nicely done up bicycles!!
Such pride and love they showcase for their vehicles. I was reminded of my obsession with my old BSA SLR red bicycle, how I loved it, cleaned it, and how much I hated it when it was given away without my permission. It was not just a cycle to me, he was a companion. Yes, I always thought of it as a he.

Stickers, colors, birthdays of the cycle, anniversary of my cycle with Umangi's, distributing sweets in the entire school.....all madness came back!
Sigh! no new fancy bicycle can replace him......

Ceramic tile mosaic at Dose Camp

Giraffe
Originally uploaded by lavannya

A morning drive to the other side of the city to drop my girlfriend
off ended up becoming breakfast at Dose camp (Ganesh Darshan) in
Jayanagar 4th Block!

My first introduction to Bangalore was these south indian tiffin
outlets and me going completely crazy about how each type of dose
had a different accompaniment. Coming from a land where anything
south indian meant Dose or idli and there was simply one way to eat
the same, finding these food places was discovery!

But this blog post is not about the dose that's so good there or
the wonderful coffee....
its about the fantastic Tile Mosaic all over the shop interiors.
The workmanship and detailing is Art in itself.
Hard to find such workmanship now.
I wish I had taken a photograph of it, perhaps I was so caught up
in studying it and eating the masale dose that it slipped my mind.

Memories of my attempts at china mosaic at Khambhat came back. I
know how difficult tile mosaic can be. Harder still when detailed
like that!



Next time I am taking photographs of Ganesh Darshan's interiors.

P.S: I've been meaning to start blogging since months now. Each
time I have an idea to write I let it slip by and not do it. This
day is another beginning.

Bumble Bee

The mind is a bumble bee
Caressing thoughts so many
Of the future
The expected
The idealistic
The past and the spent
It has roamed and
Sucked off the essence
Of each experience
Felt or not
Sensed or not
The mind is a
Bumble bee today
At total unrest

16th September, 2009

Seven days and counting
The yearning and
The missing
Is having as good as
Not having?
Or is not having
Only better?

11th September, 2009

No road,
No destination
No said cause
No reason
No camera
No book to write poetry in
No future and no past
Just this moment
In the present
To be in….

Cigarettes
Music
And friends meet again…
Images painted in my head
Familiar but old songs coming back
Wish u were here!

Skipping heartbeats
All love songs for me
Heaved breaths
And a loss of patience
Thoughts illicit
Of a desire so wrong
A pain incomparable
Expressions failing
Tears have found a way
To simply drop
At each thought
Have I lost or have I gained
I know not.

Incoherence

Incoherent words
Incoherent lines
Partial poetry
Within a partial life
Once again the need to fly
Once again the need to sense
How many times
Will I fall and rise
How many times
Will my emotions
Subside
Ah! These small miracles
Devil in disguise

Cut Tree

The neighbouring property has been vacant for long..... always wanted more trees and green there.... so we planted this Yellow Tabebuia and there was this Guava that was doing well after many years....

Our neighbour downstairs brought down the Guava tree yesterday and cleaned up the entire site of all the shrubs..... They want to play badminton there!

It hurts.... a lot.... Feels like someone died....

Learnings from the past....

This visit to Gujarat has left me with a feeling I am unrelated to.
Met people from my past and saw the same things with a new perspective.
Have I grown?

Nazar Baug - Vadodara. A visit in the midst of the night with friends


Chandrakanth Zaveri wants to extend the new house he's built a year or so back. His present residence is 200 years old. He choose to extend the building and added an R.C.C. roof above. Now the structure below seems to be giving in, sinking.
The wooden beams and columns have moved and the walls have deeper cracks.

He wants to demolish this structure and replace it with a fancy modern structure.
Sigh!

The traditional architecture in Gujarat has always fascinated me. The more I visit there, the more I fall in love with that town.
This is the first time I have looked inside the "Tanka". (which is in principle a Tank). The underground sump is huge.



Must be easily more than 50,000 litres and has a mouth through which they draw water even today using a thick rope. A pipe from the flat roof brings the rain water in through a smaller hole which is the filter and down into the Tanka.
This filter is so basic its amazing and the detail of the tile with a loop fitting on top to make it invisible. The cap of the cover is made from Brass and still so beautiful.



Why would they want to demolish this house?

Such an urge to write
In the land I come from
Creativity surges in loneliness again
Revisiting past
In many a ways
An urge to write
Feel & sense once again
Fearing will lose it amongst
The urban hustle and bustle soon
Can I remain this way
Joyous, Silent and Sensitive
Here and still not?

Hebbal 3rd Mar'09

hebbal-3rd-mar'09
Originally uploaded by lavannya

Passing by the Hebbal lake I saw this huge fire yesterday.
Seemed like a forest fire.
Nothing about it in the newspapers.
Perhaps the Attack on the Lankan cricket team made enough news. Temperatures are really rising.
Birds were all in a frenzy.
Fire engines and police were scampering around with sirens going

City Blooms

Its an overwhelming yellow colour all over the city of Bangalore.
All local newspapers, magazines and blogs are writing about the same thing. The Yellow Tabebuia blooms!!!

Exotic these trees may be but when one sees smiles running across faces of all during seasons of these blooms, one ends up appreciating the efforts of landscapers and botanists who planned these flowering trees all over Bangalore with this intention.

Many thanks to Krumbiegal, and his disciples Dr.H.Marigowda and Javaraya for spreading happiness each season.

Tickle

An endless tickle

In my stomach

Stirring emotions

Of love once again

Is it a man again

Or is it just Love

Love on its own

I've learnt to yield

Or just plain

Adrenalin rush

Caterpillars and Butterflies

2 fellows on one plant
Originally uploaded by lavannya

These two are these little shit like fellows earlier.... amazing to see their transformation every day... www.flickr.com/photos/lavannya/2837005632/

Its another thing that they've completely consumed my new born lime plant! (not extremely thrilled about that)

FAILING TO FEEL

A week has passed

In a hurry

In a rush

All’s going to get over

Coz … it began sometime

Need to feel it all

In slow motion

Randomly …

All these experiences

Touching me not

Failing to make me feel

A week has passed now

And I can recollect

Nothing!

Memories.... & Music....

When I hear a song there's a feeling of nostalgia that's created .... if its a new one its a new finding, a new idea and a new feeling...but when its a song I've heard before... It brings back many a memories that flash inside outside of me..take me back to the days that were... in the same context, the same sensation of breeze on my back, the same weather, the same temperature, the same feeling of love and the same creative urge that must've developed then...

I set the IPOD to a random listing of music and it played Sting!
How many a times I must've played his CDs ... went on and on for many a days... repeated over and over again... I always listened to music like that... it could be very frustrating to those around me, but to me its like the rhythm on which to operate...

Thousand Years... such a known song ( I didnt enjoy Desert Rose as much somehow)... perhaps if I hear it everyday now I might not enjoy it as much... but it playing right now after a long long time ...stirs the same emotions as that of on those days when I was discovering a life... within my "Film City" thesis... enjoying the internet and the "falling in love"... detached and torn from the world outside... and confined in my large room with Maa's garden below, the morning sun rising there, the cool breeze that went across the room through the east to the west towards the large terrace... Me in my pink shorts and anything else I found... hair tied up high..... and involved in sketching on my huge drawing table and the high chair!

Aren't memories wonderful?

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the morning time ... but I do of the evening... on the same table... :)



I want to go back to the same house again! I belonged there! Alas!

Changed words
And changed attitude towards this music
This music that governed
My each emotion
And expression
Today it does nothing
But put rhythm into my days
Changed words
And changed attitude
Where now everything
That was rigid
Is straying away!

Mission Sustainability

....Is a contest for those who on an Individual level have made an attempt to bring the Sustainbility aspect into their everyday lives.

So if you want to find out about the innovative 40 top entries and vote for the best amongst them, here goes.

I found these entries interesting

Green house in Germany

These are small steps each individual can adopt in their lives

You read about the Daily Dump composting in Bangalore... here's what this person tried at home

And ofcourse this is the most sustainable and unique idea
Growing paddy on your roof top with recycled water from washing machines!

So vote for the best and tell us if you tried something similar at your home! :)

Ecological Building

I have been learning to "Build" ecologically. And its high time that I
share some of what I've learnt so far.
The question: How does one go about building a house Ecologically?

To understand that its important to know:
What is it that one does to harm the Ecology/Environment?

High energy consuming materials are not suited to Ecology.
Production of Energy e.g. Electricity consumes a lot of resources. e.g.
Wood, Coal and such materials.
Also the process of burning these materials in large quantities
produces a lot of Carbon and carbon based gases that are now being
absorbed by the atmosphere and leading to the Green house effect.
Hence, one's continuous trial should be to reduce this burden on
environment as much as possible.

William Rees coined this concept of Ecological Footprint. Which is an analysis of how much demand a structure makes on
nature in terms of natural resources, energy, biomass, food, building
material, water etc.
It isnt always necessary to calculate the exact footprint, but
understanding of the basics makes it much easier to build so.
Building construction is one of the industries that has harmed
Ecology most. We've therefore begun to now experience all the harm
that Green house gases could create.

What are the aspects that lead to a larger Ecological footprint? :

1. Usage of materials that are manufactured at large levels, in ways
that consume a lot of energy/fossil fuels.

2. Usage of materials that are dependant on Petroleum products.
Petroleum industry being one of the largest energy consuming
industries.



3. Use of materials that have run a long distance to reach the place of
use. Local materials on the other hand make the footprint smaller.

4. the amount of Ecology in terms of trees and water destroyed in the
process of construction.

5. The amount of material wasted in the process of construction.
The conclusion being that Cement - though a natural material we
should discourage using in high quantities because of its

manufacturing process.
check the "Cement Making Processes" section here

Aluminum being the highest energy consuming material and Steel a
little distant from it. The attempt should be to reduce the usage of
these materials.

How can the building structure be suited to the Ecology?

1. By building the structure to suit its immediate environment

2. By designing the structure to use as many locally available
materials as possible.

3. By reducing the use of steel and cement and such high energy
consuming materials.

4. By making terrace gardens and green spaces in every space possible
around and in the structure.

5. By using as many alternative sources of energy possible and being
less dependant on the conventional form of energy.

6. By re using and recycling all the waste produced.

7. By harvesting rain water (which is the purest form of water
available to us) and recycling and using all waste water produced in
the structure.



It will take a whole new stream of thinking to be able to adapt such a
lifestyle, but sooner or later it'll be become an absolute necessity that
each and every individual think of their immediate environment.

BEEN TOO LONG

Been too long
Too strong
Inside my body
In my heart
Given you
Too much
Too fast
You need to be moved
Away from me
See you from beside me
Cut the strings
I’ve attached to you
That have strongly fastened me
To you
You’ve been too long
Too strong
Inside my body
Moments of strange kinds
Have passed now
From a point to another
Dear feelings and
Important moments
Just given away
You’ve been too long
And too strong
Inside my body
This event has to end
A new relationship needs to be cast
A newer mould to be created
Fresh times
And fresh lives
Have to take birth
Stale are these emotions
Stale passion
And the stale me
You’ve been too long
And too strongly
Inside my body

Strange

Strange feelings
Moments
And Time
Joy
Exuberance
Excitement
Life
What is life
If not an experiment?
What is Love
If not tested twice?

Kambha

My grandmother used to have this large pit in the garden where she
put in all the daily waste and made "compost" out of it. The only
downside to it was that sometimes the maids didnt know what to
not put into it..and all the plastic waste also got dumped along.

Obviously plastic doesnt decompose that quickly so the compost pit
became soon a nuisance. Also we had loads of rats and other animals breeding there and living there.

Well Daily Dump a company in Bangalore has started this concept of making Compost at home, and I am truly impressed with it. Its so so simple, you wonder how come noone else thought of it. And to add to that its so cheap plus its made out of mud. How better can things be?

Daily Dump designs these Kambha's and Gamla's for people who do not have much space to make a compost pit and dont like the mosquitoes and insects that come along with the whole thing.

All you have to do is put in your organic waste into this feature everday... mix it in every week or so. If its too dry sprinkle some water, if its too wet add in some dry leaves from your pots or garden or simply put pieces of newspaper into it.

You can put in everything, all bones, cooked food, peels, kitchen tisse, etc, but cant add in plastic, foil, coconut husk and shell ( as it doesnt decompose, you can burn it alternatively), cigarette buds and batteries. The lesser waste you dump into the garbage bins the lesser number of dogs and cows that breed on these open waste bins, and the lesser number of them getting crushed on the roads.



If you want to contact Daily Dump here's the number
Poonam Bir Kasturi at 2992, 12A Main, HAL IInd Stage, Bangalore - 560008,
phone: 9844239660.

update 27 08 07 :
check this video to get an idea of how it works

Water problems?

The fact that water is even being debated as a commodity or a human right itself scares me... and to know in the next 50 years we'll have to desalinate sea water because fresh water supply will get thinner and thinner is scarier still....

Why are we getting so unconcious of what is right or wrong?
Is everybody deliberately using up water resources?
Are we all over using water?

I am still learning and dont have all the answers yet but spreading awareness is something I must do.

Did you know that Rain water is one of the purest form of water you could have? (that's only in the case you dont live in an industrial area)

Did you know that for a 1000 sqft roof top area, or 100 square meter roof top, (which is the area of the roof of a small 30x40 house in bangalore) in bangalore you could harvest as much as 90,000 litres of water in a year?
And this is 1/3rd of the water a family of 4-5 would need in a year?

If all of us began harvesting rain water it would ease off the pressure on the rivers that are being fought for.

The method to use Rain water is so simple, its unbelievable. All you need to do is slope all the water on your terrace in one direction and collect it into this tank (either made from ferro-cement or a small PVC tank would do), let the water filter through natural materials like thin fabric, sand and coal, and let it all go into the underground sump you have for water storage!

All overflow could simply go into a well (about 2.5-3 feet dia and 20 feet deep) and that would help keep the ground water level good. The sub-soil water level is important as the surface water supply is soon running dry.

Sometimes we are too selfish and careless and if the carelessness continues it could cost us a lot. Dont cement all sides of the property...leave ground/earth in places so that water can seep into the earth below.

Check out this image

The technique is so simple that everyone can do it. There exist a lot of misnomers about RWH and I simply wanted to change them.

Alas if all apartments and large buildings alongwith all the many residences that are mushrooming all over the city began to store water from the rain... there would be less fights over rivers in time!

If you want to know what to do Mr.Vishwanath and team are willing to teach you and guide you for free. Anyone is welcome to go visit and see the techinques they're using for the same in their house.

I just hope more people begin harvesting rain water and become a little more careful in the way they use water and other resources without making it a burden for themselves.

If you do not know what to do please contact them on
S. Vishwanath,
264, 6th Main, 6th Block, B.E.L. Layout
Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore - 560 097 India
Phone: 91-80-23641690, 41672790
Email:zenrainman@gmail.com

A SPIRITUAL UDUPI

I am not religious and I find it very difficult to believe in religions and follow them...
But I think I now (after this very long) understand the essence of the
whole concept... I dont like the temples, the hypocritic priests and their slimy ways, the dirty floors and walls and the norm of removing shoes, the bad rotten flowers and dirty water they give away in name of God and all the black money that gets pumped into the temples in name of God ... I dislike it all...
It makes me very angry to be inside a temple and to have to bribe a priest so that I can have a peaceful look at the idol!

Very angry!

But... I loved what i witnessed at Udupi this visit....The sounds of the drums and the "manjiras" still ring in my ear, I cant still forget the temple elephant dancing to the rhythm, the hundreds of people that suddenly appeared from nowhere to pull on
the thick ropes tugged onto the 20-30 foot tall wooden chariot, the rush, the mood,the fire, the music and it all stirred something inside me...



I felt tears rolling down my eyes, I can feel them now!

I now know what its all about, and how wrong we all got it...and how simple it has to be.... Its all about energy... and positive energy... and we can all feel it... its this energy that makes it all so spiritual...

Yes I had a spiritual experience!

G O K A R N

Gokarn

Another Beach town along the mysterious land of Karnataka.

"Go" meaning Cow and "Karn" meaning Ear... this towns name means "Cow's Ear" literally.
The mythological story states that the Shivaling that stands tall in this town was retrieved from the ear of a Cow and this cow is worshipped as Nandi.
Now I know why theres always a Nandi wherever there's the Shivaling.

Gokarn means Cows, Pujaris, Silent Beaches, Sea Food and Hippies to me...Not to forget the tribals who are named the Hallakis - hard working women who mostly sell flowers and vegetables.

The irony of this town will surely take you aback if you have similar sensibilities as mine. Once known for its religious and mythological reasons, this town is now popular for its secluded beaches and its hippie culture. Honestly I was disappointed. Unlike other beach towns these beaches were empty inspite of people being there. Foreigners in bikinis and in nude asking me to not shoot them, smoking something that made them feel they're in "India", wearing clothes that are strange to me but are somehow "Indian" to them - arabic and two-sided pants!!!

G O K A R N
Originally uploaded by lavannya.

Most foreigners have been living there for months together and have deviced very smart methods for staying longer also. Yes, the town is now known and thrives because of these visitors, but sadly they seem to have taken something away from the town.

I wish there was some sort of a law or rule against drugs. It wasnt difficult to tell if people were doing "nasha", and if its that apparent to a visitor doesnt the police and the government know?

These hippies find it easy to stay back in Gokarn, they've made these shacks all along beaches and the locals have everything they need. A tea takes 20 minutes to serve and drink, hence if you're expecting quick gratification, you're bound to be disappointed.

The pujaris are no less. The temple doesnt allow foreigners (which I am not happy at all about). And therefore its only the pujaris who're not making the "dollars". To make up for the loss they spread all around the temple and as soon as they see some well off indian, they rush, literally pull them into the temple, do a puja before one can wink their eyes and viola! shell of hundreds of rupees!



Its strange to see how the Cows are respected and lovingly treated in this town. As usual they're always hungry but they respond to a call, to sounds, to touch and talk.



It took me a while to accept this town as it was. I perhaps had too many preconcieved notions. The second day I was more relaxed accepting everything the way it was... and hence yes... i'd say to you
Do visit Gokarn... its a delightful little town with excellent beaches and wonderful sea food... and be ready to make expenses!

New Project

New Project
Originally uploaded by lavannya.

Every time I think I’m happy and satisfied I find a new reason to be discontent with life… Is it deliberate or something’s wrong with the way my brain and heart functions I do not know…
But once again I break the shell…

Shock!
I am also under shock while the ones around me are also experiencing one.
When everyone else and I too had thought that this is it, my life is now perfect, I’m set with my established practice of architecture, I’m designing and people are getting to know who I am… a part of me inside was all uncomfortable. Can I be content? Am I truly content? Is this all? Am I going to be this Architect cum Interior Designer who makes this and that sort of designs for all her life? Do I know it all?
Happiness and Discontent don’t necessarily go hand in hand, is something I’m totally and completely sure of now.

I have begun to work for a firm called by the name of the two individuals who started off this practice in Bangalore “Chitra Vishwanath”. They practice Eco Friendly Architecture and have been experimenting with what they call as Mud Block Constructions. I have wanted to work with Chitra ever since I passed out of College. I decided to ask her once again. It’s truly not about money it’s about what all I’m going to get to learn. It’s about what all I’ve got to gain here. For long I’ve been feeling I’m missing out on a lot. All my co-mates are studying something or the other somewhere or the other… and I? I’ve been busy doing this… well its not so meaningless, but what can I do? I enjoy learning only by practice. I can’t just read books… I need to be there! So here am I… learning Ecologically Friendly and Sustainable Architecture!

Dying Markets

R U S S E L M A R K E T
Originally uploaded by lavannya.

Russel market and Shivajinagar is a large Market area full of so many things to sell. Its one place one can avail just about anything. Indian markets have always been a fancy with people abroad and a matter of pride for the Indians. Its sad how the supermarkets have taken over, and ironically how they are not so "super". There's no haggling anymore, no best prices, no choice for the consumer, no happiness of purchasing anymore, for that matter not as colorful either. Long walks down many streets and long mysterious searches for any particular item you want to buy has been taken over by these huge fabulous Malls... that to me are so cold, strange and colorless. These malls and supermarkets are supposed to stock up everything in one building and yet I dont find them as satisfying as these vibrant Markets.

Think of all these individuals who have been making their income via these markets selling their small goods for years and generations. These people shall soon be unemployed, and nothing saddens me more to know that We shall be responsible for that.

Bylakuppe

_MG_5217
Originally uploaded by lavannya.

Bylakuppe... An amazing place of colour and vibrance, friendliness and spirituality...
Burgundy robed monks, and smiling but shy faces welcomed us to it. As soon as we entered the town and the valleys and hills through which the roads took us, flanked with lush green wheat fields and skies of shades of blue, white and grey, we all felt that we were displaced into a completely foreign world.

A few ten kilometers from Mysore this town Bylakuppe is situated at the border of Mysore and Coorg. The government of Karnataka offered this land to the Tibetians who had wanted refuge in India. They've created their own little niche in the town with monasteries, temples, nunneries, animals and fields of grains.

The town was lush green with wonderful shades of blue, white, green, brown and the burgundy, maroon and yellow clothes of the monks living there.
Some monks come to study all the way from Tibet and some from all parts of North and North East India.

The Namdroling Monastery known as the Golden Temple made me feel small and insignificant. Though I was there with no real intention of feeling spiritual, standing in that vast space, with the large gold statues in front of me, the monks chanting and the pipes and drums being played... i felt a tear run down my eye. I was overwhelmed!

I wanted to know more and feel more, experience more but alas the journey had to end. It was a calming but exciting experience and to have documented it in photographs was not easy.

Instead we simply let ourselves have a great time. Momos and thukpa, shopping and drives, laughs and many discussions and arguments about photography and its equipment that lasted for hours!

Nandi Hills

Dr Vivek M started this group on Flickr. com called Bangalore Weekend Shoots.
His intention was to bring about a little interaction amongst all the photographers living in and around Bangalore.

Everyone now meets every weekend on some shoot or the other and we have a great time.
There is food exploration, places and lots of photography.
Its great to see how each one sees the same subject and place differently and there's so much to learn I must say!
We've all grown, atleast I can say that for myself.

Markets has been a major focus for a long time amongst the group... and that's where I've been disappearing into every weekend! There is no time to while away lately :), and doesnt that feel great!!!

Here are my pictures from these Weekend Shoots. It feels good to see myself learning and improving.

Resisting the Digital world so much I've shamelessly given in to it now "blush". And with Digital cameras I have had to learn post processing skills on the Photoshop CS2. Uploading pictures has become so much easier...and photography has been the high that I've been on lately.

This weekend we took a trip to the Nandi Hills... staying as close as i do to the place i have never been there in the past 4 years!

This was my chance to see the so heard of place...

It's a total Hill Station...
misty, cold, windy, romantic, cool, colourful, green...
and soon full of lots of people and romantic couples! :)

We had a great time...and here are my shots from the place.

DIVIDED BETWEEN

Divided between 2 languages unknown
Divided in my mind and in my heart
My heart’s the master
And my mind a slave
To all that has crossed me now
I believe in love
I believe in the tears of my loneliness
I believe life can grow
Improve
And give more
Torn apart are these thoughts
Happens so
When too much comes by to sense
A lot needs to get out
And overflow
Flow into words
Written or said
Making it less meaningful thus
And less important
Or less owned
Divided between 2 languages unknown
Divided between 2 men unknown

DUMB

DUMB

Where days are filled with beauty
And moments full of hope
An extravagance of immense
Passion
And a desire that can’t be curbed
That’s the state of mind
You leave me in
Every time I feel your presence and
Every time I know you’ll leave
It’s a choice I’ve made
To live in this partial
World of emotions
It’s a choice that’ll drive me
Crazy
A choice that’ll forever
Leave me dumb!

AIDS and Paani Puri

How many of you have recieved this forwarded message on your yahoo messenger?

"In Ahmedabad 10 yrs old boy had eaten "panipuri" about 15 days ago and fell sick, later when he had his health check done doctors diagnosed that he had AIDS. His parents couldn't believe it...? Then the entire family under went a checkup none of them was suffering from that. The doctors checked with the boy if he had eaten out? And the boy says he had panipuri one evening. The hospital team went there to check. They found the panipuri seller had a cut on his finger while cutting the onions, and his blood had spread in the food. When they had his blood checked... the guy was suffering from AIDS but he himself was not aware. Please take care while u eat from road side panipuri wallas or roadside vendors. kindly forward this message to your friends!!! "

And how many of you believe that there is any truth in this matter?

I feel extremely sad when I read such things. Its disappointing to see that inspite of so much awareness of AIDS people still spread such nonsensical rumors.

What is AIDS? - Its a disease acquired by being infected by the Virus called HIV. Full form Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome

What is HIV? - HIV is the virus that leads to the disease called AIDS. It can remain in your system or body for a very long time, completely inert and you might not get AIDS for years together.

What does this Virus do? - HIV virus attacks the Spleen - the part of your body that manufactures the white antibodies to protect your body against attack from an external virus or bacterial or a different sort of infection. By attacking, the Virus deforms the DNA of the antibodies such that - in layman language - they go all haywire and crazy when there's an actual attack on the body from an external germ.
Hence it is necessary for the person who is already infected by HIV virus to protect themselves from any sort of infection whatsoever.

This "going haywire" concept is what decreases your body's immunity, and therefore makes it difficult for the patient affected by the HIV to cure.

It is similar for those who suffer from Diabetes or High Blood Pressure. Those who suffer from these diseases also have low immunity and its difficult to help individuals who suffer from it.

How does HIV virus transfer? - The HIV virus, unlike many other viruses we know, needs the medium of body fluid. E.g. The common cold virus is Airborne and can transfer through air, similarly the HIV virus can move from a body fluid to a body fluid.
The HIV virus cannot live in dried body fluid, the body fluid needs to be active.

What can you do to get the Virus? - Remember that getting the virus is very different from getting AIDS. Its not the same. Lets learn to use the correct terminology.

You can get the HIV virus by being in a situation where
1. Blood is being transfused from an HIV affected person to a non-affected human being
2. It can be transmitted by using a fresh syringe which is not sterile, and was used for a HIV affected person
3. It can be trasmitted by having unprotected sex, i.e. sex without a condom. If the woman is affected by HIV or the man, the virus transmits itself, as a lot of body fluid is present in the sexual act.
The more number of people one has sex with therefore the greater the chances of being affected by the HIV virus.
4. You can get it while having oral sex too. How? Well if one of the partner has a cut in the mouth which is raw or fresh

and the body fluid of the other partner getting the oral sex enters the mouth of the this one, there is a chance of transmission. So check the mouth carefully. ;)


The HIV virus is very clever an organism. Its not usually detected by our machines for as long as 3 months of gestation.

So if you had sex today or a blood transfusion today and expect the HIV virus to be detected in your body tomorrow, its not possible.

That is why people are quite scared of this virus.
What is to be scared about?
1. You dont know if someone has the virus very easily. The unknown is usually scary
2. Once you start showing the symptoms of AIDS, its very difficult to help the patient. Immunity is low and diseases spread quickly.

Can you get the HIV virus by eating Pani puri made by a man who cut his finger while chopping onions? No.
1. You have to have a cut in your mouth to get it.
2. The blood plasma would be really dissolved into the paani of the paani puri so chances are slow.
3. Even if you had a cut and the blood of the paani puri wala was flowing from his finger and you get infected by the

HIV virus, 15 days hence it cant be detected.

The above story is "bakwaas". Please dont attack the poor paani puri walas or the street vendor's food business.
Yes do check if the paani puri wala's nails are clean before you have him feed you the paani puri, if not you could have different diseases. And if you're already affected by the HIV virus, it wouldnt be safe either.

Please put in your views here... Tell me more if I dont know something...
AIDS happens with HIV virus, HIV and AIDS is not the same thing!!!