The winter was extended in Moscow. Here are some images.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Serebryany Bor in the late winter
Here are some images from one of Moscow's most beautiful forests in the winter
Abramtsevo Estate in late winter
Here are some pictures from the historic Abramtsevo Estate near Moscow.
Hindu and Buddhist art at the Indian National Museum in Kolkata
Here are images of the museum's great collection.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Overheard in a Moscow underpass
There I was on lazy and cold Saturday morning minding my own business as I walked to a cafe on Tverskaya Street. The drizzle and gloomy weather ensured that the streets were even emptier than on a regular Saturday morning.
At the cafe, there were some people desperate to get over a Friday hangover by having some wine! I tried to plug my ears to the non-polite society Russian that was being uttered.
As I walked back through Tverskaya I needed to cross an underpass. Moscow's underpasses tend to be places where street musicians perform in order to make some extra money. This Saturday though, it was too early for them to be around. Instead there were two strange-looking people debating the merits of killing someone!
"Why not kill Vova instead," one questioned the other. Suddenly my lazy Saturday morning walking pace got a lot faster and I was out of the underpass in a jiffy. Oh, the empty Tverskaya Street never looked better!
At the cafe, there were some people desperate to get over a Friday hangover by having some wine! I tried to plug my ears to the non-polite society Russian that was being uttered.
As I walked back through Tverskaya I needed to cross an underpass. Moscow's underpasses tend to be places where street musicians perform in order to make some extra money. This Saturday though, it was too early for them to be around. Instead there were two strange-looking people debating the merits of killing someone!
"Why not kill Vova instead," one questioned the other. Suddenly my lazy Saturday morning walking pace got a lot faster and I was out of the underpass in a jiffy. Oh, the empty Tverskaya Street never looked better!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Home sweet Moscow
You know you're at home in a city when you can easily blend in with its flow and rhythm of life. When I take the Aeroexpress from Domodedeovo Airport and then switch over to the metro at Paveletskaya without batting an eyelid, I realise that it's almost like taking a local train from Dadar after arriving in Bombay by a long-distance train.
I seem to have a magical power to bring in sunshine and warm weather to this city. Yesterday was as warm and perfect a spring day in the capital as possible. And the sun is out today as well, although we are expecting snow tomorrow.
I seem to have a magical power to bring in sunshine and warm weather to this city. Yesterday was as warm and perfect a spring day in the capital as possible. And the sun is out today as well, although we are expecting snow tomorrow.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Calcutta's fading Chinatown
At its peak, the Chinese community, comprising of Hakka-speaking immigrants, in Calcutta numbered 20,000. Then the 1962 India-China War happened and that lead to a drastic reduction in numbers, especially after the entire ethnic Chinese population was interned in a camp in Rajasthan for a few years!
The remnants of this community live in an area which is a walking distance from the West Bengal government's main offices. Small lanes have buildings with Chinese signs and decorations. Mothers take their daughters in cycle rickshaws to school, old men share a laugh at a food stall and older women, who probably have fascinating stories walk to their homes.
I tried some of the Chinese food being sold on the streets and I certify that it is indeed delicious. The community now numbers around 2000 and is dying. I honestly wish there were more Chinese people here, given the fact that they are great businessmen and job generators. Look what the Chinese community has managed to achieve in Malaysia.
The remnants of this community live in an area which is a walking distance from the West Bengal government's main offices. Small lanes have buildings with Chinese signs and decorations. Mothers take their daughters in cycle rickshaws to school, old men share a laugh at a food stall and older women, who probably have fascinating stories walk to their homes.
I tried some of the Chinese food being sold on the streets and I certify that it is indeed delicious. The community now numbers around 2000 and is dying. I honestly wish there were more Chinese people here, given the fact that they are great businessmen and job generators. Look what the Chinese community has managed to achieve in Malaysia.
Kolkata Marathon: Thank You Kolkata Police and Goddess Kali!
As soon as I stepped out of my hotel in Shakespeare Sarani (Theatre Road), I had a great feeling about running the half marathon this morning. The weather was lovely and the climatic conditions ideal to run on.
But from the second I got to Red Road, I had to deal with a bunch of clueless volunteers! And it was the volunteers who proved to be the bane of a chaotic and poorly organised run. (More later).
As soon as the run began at 6 am sharp, the heavens opened up and there was a gentle rain. It felt like blessings from Goddess Kali herself. After all, this is her city! A few roads were totally closed for the run and I thoroughly enjoyed the start as gentle raindrops fell on me. The weather stayed perfect throughout the run.
The route took us through the main gate of the Victoria Memorial, the Esplanade, past the tram lines and through some poorer areas and upto Science City before turning back. Although traffic was open for most of the route, the friendly staff of the Kolkata Police were a great help. In fact, they were the ones guiding the runners as many volunteers did not turn up.
Despite assurances, there were very few water stations. (Once again, thank Kali for the weather). We received a bottle of water after the 7 km mark and then again at two more points. The organises did not offer us electral water till the 18 km mark! And there were no mobile toilets on the route (!) To make matters worse, the few existing km markers were kept at the wrong spots. I trust GPS via my Garmin watch more than I do the spots.
This was the first time in a long distance run, I actually stopped to buy coconut water on the route to avoid dehydration! To make matters worse, I had a few close shaves with speeding buses and trucks! A bus driver yelled at me in Bengali for running on the road! And yes, there was a grand total of 1 person cheering us on the path! Come on, Calcutta, this is no way to organise a marathon. I feel sorry for those who ran 42.195 km.
Anyway I felt energetic and strong and held my nerves to run with relative ease as I passed the Victoria Memorial again and into a closed road before storming to the finish line. Even the post-run logistics were a joke!
Despite the poor organisation, I had a great time. This was my first major run since I ran the marathon in Kuala Lumpur in October 2014. It's good to know that I am still in great shape!
Now it's time to celebrate!
But from the second I got to Red Road, I had to deal with a bunch of clueless volunteers! And it was the volunteers who proved to be the bane of a chaotic and poorly organised run. (More later).
As soon as the run began at 6 am sharp, the heavens opened up and there was a gentle rain. It felt like blessings from Goddess Kali herself. After all, this is her city! A few roads were totally closed for the run and I thoroughly enjoyed the start as gentle raindrops fell on me. The weather stayed perfect throughout the run.
The route took us through the main gate of the Victoria Memorial, the Esplanade, past the tram lines and through some poorer areas and upto Science City before turning back. Although traffic was open for most of the route, the friendly staff of the Kolkata Police were a great help. In fact, they were the ones guiding the runners as many volunteers did not turn up.
Despite assurances, there were very few water stations. (Once again, thank Kali for the weather). We received a bottle of water after the 7 km mark and then again at two more points. The organises did not offer us electral water till the 18 km mark! And there were no mobile toilets on the route (!) To make matters worse, the few existing km markers were kept at the wrong spots. I trust GPS via my Garmin watch more than I do the spots.
This was the first time in a long distance run, I actually stopped to buy coconut water on the route to avoid dehydration! To make matters worse, I had a few close shaves with speeding buses and trucks! A bus driver yelled at me in Bengali for running on the road! And yes, there was a grand total of 1 person cheering us on the path! Come on, Calcutta, this is no way to organise a marathon. I feel sorry for those who ran 42.195 km.
Anyway I felt energetic and strong and held my nerves to run with relative ease as I passed the Victoria Memorial again and into a closed road before storming to the finish line. Even the post-run logistics were a joke!
Despite the poor organisation, I had a great time. This was my first major run since I ran the marathon in Kuala Lumpur in October 2014. It's good to know that I am still in great shape!
Now it's time to celebrate!
Saturday, March 5, 2016
A trip to the Indian National Museum
I was put off with this Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 500 for foreigners entry charge! Come on, Calcutta, India is not a poor country desperate for the foreigner's money anymore...Having written that, I am full of praise for the outstanding collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures the museum houses. There are also a few Jain sculptures there.
I was lucky enough to be in the city when an exhibition of Indian Buddhist art was on display. There are great pieces of both Theravada and Mahayana art.
I just wonder whether the Brits took most of these idols from intact archaeological sites or whether they found them during excavations! Spending an afternoon at the museum, I learned a lot about Hindu and Buddhist art from the 9th to 11 centuries. The works featured sandstone idols from just before the Christian era to basalt sculptures from the 10th and 11th centuries.
Buddhist and Hindu art lived side by side from the 9th to 11th centuries. Judging by what I saw the religions seemed to coexist fine in Bihar, as they did in Ellora, where you have Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sculptures.
This lends credence to the theory I hear often in Sri Lanka that it was Islamic invaders that finished off Theravada Buddhism in the subcontinent with the exception of the emerald island and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (where 98 percent of the population were Buddhists), which were handed to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by the mischievous departing Brits.
The most interesting sculpture I saw was of Mahavira. The 2nd century BC idol showed the founder of Jainism in a meditative pose and I mistook him for the Buddha, especially because he had oriental features.
Another stunner was a 2nd century AD sculpture of the Buddha offering protection. He is actually smiling! I had never seen a smiling Buddha statue before.
I was also impressed with the various Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesha sculptures. The museum has Hindu artwork from Bihar, southern India as well as Indonesia.
Ther museum also has parts of the huge Bharhut Stupa, which was believed to have been built by Emperor Ashoka. The copper gates are in great condition and the reliefs such the finest degree of craftsmanship and artistic ability existed in India at that time.
Seeing all these great art works convinces me that India was way ahead of its time right upto the point that the Islamic invasions began.
It's time for us to rise once again and honour our great ancestors!
I was lucky enough to be in the city when an exhibition of Indian Buddhist art was on display. There are great pieces of both Theravada and Mahayana art.
I just wonder whether the Brits took most of these idols from intact archaeological sites or whether they found them during excavations! Spending an afternoon at the museum, I learned a lot about Hindu and Buddhist art from the 9th to 11 centuries. The works featured sandstone idols from just before the Christian era to basalt sculptures from the 10th and 11th centuries.
Buddhist and Hindu art lived side by side from the 9th to 11th centuries. Judging by what I saw the religions seemed to coexist fine in Bihar, as they did in Ellora, where you have Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sculptures.
This lends credence to the theory I hear often in Sri Lanka that it was Islamic invaders that finished off Theravada Buddhism in the subcontinent with the exception of the emerald island and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (where 98 percent of the population were Buddhists), which were handed to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by the mischievous departing Brits.
The most interesting sculpture I saw was of Mahavira. The 2nd century BC idol showed the founder of Jainism in a meditative pose and I mistook him for the Buddha, especially because he had oriental features.
Another stunner was a 2nd century AD sculpture of the Buddha offering protection. He is actually smiling! I had never seen a smiling Buddha statue before.
I was also impressed with the various Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesha sculptures. The museum has Hindu artwork from Bihar, southern India as well as Indonesia.
Ther museum also has parts of the huge Bharhut Stupa, which was believed to have been built by Emperor Ashoka. The copper gates are in great condition and the reliefs such the finest degree of craftsmanship and artistic ability existed in India at that time.
Seeing all these great art works convinces me that India was way ahead of its time right upto the point that the Islamic invasions began.
It's time for us to rise once again and honour our great ancestors!
Remnants of imperial grandeur in Calcutta
It's obvious that the British colonisers wanted Calcutta to be some kind of tropical London.
The historic centre of the city is not wanting when it comes to public spaces. There's the huge maidan, which could gobble up the Azad, Oval and Cross Maidans of Bombay and have a vast amount of space. Walking from busy Chowringee to the parallel roads that lead to the Mohammedan Sporting stadium and the Eden Gardens, you see the green spaces. There always seems to be a handful of homeless people in these spaces (Chances are that a local will say they're all Bangladeshis!!!)
Showering has a fabulous collection of colonial buildings fitting of an Imperial British capital city. There is a mix of large red buildings and some whitewashed giants, like the Indian National Museum. Much in Calcutta style though, the sidewalks are full of markets and street food vendors who are cooking some lip-smacking delicacies.
The British continued to have economic interests in Calcutta after they shifted the capital to Delhi, and many businessmen stayed on for a while in the city even after Indian independence. The names of Calcutta-based businesses like Britannia are a legacy of what was once a strong English and Scottish presence.
There are also some lovely churches here and of course, the piece de resistance, the Victoria Memorial, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of India. It's a great place to relax and read a book in the mornings or take an evening walk and enjoy the sunset before the building gets beautifully illuminated.
I love Calcutta as it is, but will continue to embrace every small change I see here. But it's wonderful to see the yellow ambassador taxis, the old buses, the rickety trams and the remnants of once great buildings.
With patches of London surrounded by unbelievable Indian chaos, this is one of the greatest cities on earth.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Oh Calcutta!
It's always a fascinating drive to the city center of Calcutta from the airport. The stark contrasts, sights, sounds are all so visible on this one-hour ride.
The smell of frying fish, the sound of a loudspeaker blaring some political message that is not meant for the ears of non-Bengalis, the sight of women wearing large bindis, the new signs of capitalism, along with trams and buses from the 1950s.
On the drive, I see grimy lanes of slums from a Dominic Lapierre book, antique 18th century buildings with balconies, from where people have witnessed several important moments in history, new shops selling the latest smartphones, Kali temples, political posters.
There is a very unique aura that this wonderful city has! Oh Calcutta! You are indeed my favourite metro city in India, and it is indeed a pleasure to once again be your guest.
The smell of frying fish, the sound of a loudspeaker blaring some political message that is not meant for the ears of non-Bengalis, the sight of women wearing large bindis, the new signs of capitalism, along with trams and buses from the 1950s.
On the drive, I see grimy lanes of slums from a Dominic Lapierre book, antique 18th century buildings with balconies, from where people have witnessed several important moments in history, new shops selling the latest smartphones, Kali temples, political posters.
There is a very unique aura that this wonderful city has! Oh Calcutta! You are indeed my favourite metro city in India, and it is indeed a pleasure to once again be your guest.
Nightmare at the Mumbai domestic airport
The last time I dealt with an unending delay on a domestic flight in India was when I flew the now-defunct Air Deccan in 2005. The airline heralded an era of low-cost travel in the country, along with the aviation boom that has led to air traffic congestion in most cities.
In Bombay, if the main runway is shut, flyers should be set for a harrowing experience. I expected to reach Calcutta (Kolkatta) at 1:40 pm as I was supposed to fly on Indigo from Bombay at 11:40 am. In a case of mismanagement, the airline kept announcing small delays. They first said departure would be at noon and then 12:30 and then 1 pm and then 2:00 pm! The excuse was that inbound flight from Calcutta did not have enough fuel to circle around Bombay and had to be diverted to Baroda.
In the middle of this, they announced that they would be giving refreshments. I got on the queue like a civilised person, but fellow travellers started behaving like refugees from a war zone and were pushing and shoving to get a container of dal and rice from the Balaji restaurant!
Finally, they announced that the flight would take off at 3:30 pm and we boarded for such a departure only to wait in the plane for another hour before take off.
So what led to the delays? The closure of the main runway. What led to that? A Jet Airways flight from Delhi was the culprit. Apparently there was a hydraulics problem with its landing gear, which malfunctioned and caused massive damage to the main runway. I have enough reasons to dislike Jet Airways, which has gone from a world class airline to something that must be avoided. People should sue them for poor maintenance and the inconvenience caused by them to all travellers in Bombay.
This does not absolve Indigo of poor management! They seem to be an airline with zero contingency plans!
Thankfully, I am now in the City of Joy! Better late than never!
In Bombay, if the main runway is shut, flyers should be set for a harrowing experience. I expected to reach Calcutta (Kolkatta) at 1:40 pm as I was supposed to fly on Indigo from Bombay at 11:40 am. In a case of mismanagement, the airline kept announcing small delays. They first said departure would be at noon and then 12:30 and then 1 pm and then 2:00 pm! The excuse was that inbound flight from Calcutta did not have enough fuel to circle around Bombay and had to be diverted to Baroda.
In the middle of this, they announced that they would be giving refreshments. I got on the queue like a civilised person, but fellow travellers started behaving like refugees from a war zone and were pushing and shoving to get a container of dal and rice from the Balaji restaurant!
Finally, they announced that the flight would take off at 3:30 pm and we boarded for such a departure only to wait in the plane for another hour before take off.
So what led to the delays? The closure of the main runway. What led to that? A Jet Airways flight from Delhi was the culprit. Apparently there was a hydraulics problem with its landing gear, which malfunctioned and caused massive damage to the main runway. I have enough reasons to dislike Jet Airways, which has gone from a world class airline to something that must be avoided. People should sue them for poor maintenance and the inconvenience caused by them to all travellers in Bombay.
This does not absolve Indigo of poor management! They seem to be an airline with zero contingency plans!
Thankfully, I am now in the City of Joy! Better late than never!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Images from beautiful Mount Lavinia
If only, we had such a beautiful beach with clean water in Bombay!
Here are images from Mount Lavinia
Here are images from Mount Lavinia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)