Some amazing shots captured by Sakhenbi

An offering to the Gods

Drying out the yarns on heavy wooden poles

Looking out!

Stacks of bamboo baskets that hold anything form clothing to dried fermented fish!

And goes without saying that a cuppa tea is absolutely necessary!

These beautiful shots were taken by Sakhenbi on our trip to Imphal in 2010! 

Families!

Some families are enormous, some are really small

but no matter what size, its the same for them all!

Families are dads, that frown & say - we didn't do such things back in the days..

that shirts too bright... the skirt's far too tight

now give me the name of the people with whom you are going out tonight!'

Families are moms, who flap & fuss, 'Hurry up, get ready or you'll miss the school bus!

Straighten your tie, tidy your hair...

how come you always have nothing decent to wear!'

Families are brothers, who taunt & tease,

and stand up for you against all the bullies...

They think they are bigger & better than you

and far more important are the things that they need to do!

Families are sisters who share all your things...

your clothes, your shoes, your books, CDs & earrings...

They use all your perfume & wear your jeans even if they are tight..

and will always stay up with you all through a heart broken night!

And as time passes & the families continue to grow

The story remains pretty much the same wherever we go...

I'm lucky to have a family as huge as it is

And each year there's always someone more to add to the family list!

Aarrgghhh...switch off the lights!

It's interesting to sometimes observe how our minds take us so swiftly from one thought to another, often without even the slightest realisation that we have moved from one topic far away to another realm all together!
I was reading about the increase in VAT prices and this quickly took me to price rise in many stores across the city. Well essentially speaking the price rise isn't as drastic as I thought it was going to be. A big store I know has increased prices, for example from £1.95 to £1.99. And whilst I was thinking of the store, my mind drifted to how the main lights inside that store get switched off 30 minutes after the store shuts for business each night and leaves only a couple of emergency lights on or lights are on where people are working to fix lights, displays, etc. Then I recollected a bus ride a while ago through the heart of London city. Almost all the office buildings I saw along the way had lights switched on. I thought perhaps there may be people who worked late there... so I squinted my eyes in hope to find some flustered employees working frantically at their desks... of course there wasn't anyone there! Entire floors of empty desks & chairs and floors & floors of lights for ghosts I'm guessing because they won't be able to find their way in the dark perhaps! And its not just one or two buildings... there are so m any office buildings across London that leave their lights on. It's appalling the way so many of these corporate buildings waste so much energy for god only knows what reason. So much for corporate responsibility!!!!! Whilst eco-activists and even many energy companies are trying desperately to spread awareness amongst the population, these big & not so big corporates seem to be living on another planet... besides its not their job to save the planet, right?!
This topic has been the pea in the mattresses of my mind!! Its so freaking annoying. We watched this program on current tv quite a while ago about these eco-warriors who went around Paris switching off unncessary lights in shops & office buildings... I think more of this is needed unless of course companies become more eco-conscious & only keep switched on whats necessary. The world could do with less light pollution!
Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself. —Verlyn Klinkenborg
Of course I started thinking about light pollution. Its been years since people have been talking about switching off lights inside their homes when not in use... I recollect TV ads back in the 80s & 90s that used to promote this awareness in India! If we can switch off lights at home when we aren't in that room, why can't we do it at our work places? Is it because we don't pay the bills for these commercial/work places? But then ultimately we will all pay the price of this unchecked light bill!

PLEASE SWITCH OFF AFTER YOURSELF AT WORK & ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!!!!!

Tintin's birthday

It's my older nephews birthday today & we nicknamed him Tintin as he graced this planet on the date that one of the most famous & loved private detective Tintin also celebrates his birthday. The comic character has been our family's favourite ever since we first laid our eyes on the first Tintin comic book or graphic novel as they are now called. And the same goes for my nephew... we all just fell in love with him from the first moment. He's 11 now & I find it so amazing that so many years have passed. He used to be the most adorable baby with his little button nose and his cute mannerisms. Today he's a strapping 5' 6'' tall and as awkward as any pre-teenager can be. He may not hug us as much anymore or respond to all our strange cutesy weird nicknames we call him but he will always be the first whom we all fell in love with.
Sourab Banerjee, we love you so much.
And then Mihir came soon after Sourab... and now its hard to decide who was a cuter baby... Mihir is like cherry pie, ice-cream, honey & cream... oh dear...  I love my nephews :-)
Happy Birthday Sourab for 10th January & Mihir for 21st January!!!!

Love... Always.