Nature's Cycles

At last the monsoons are over. This will be followed by the dreaded October heat
"It's not that bad like last year or so-and-so year " we will say. Then will come the winter and we will remark similarly.
So the life goes on in a cyclical unchanging fashion.Or so it seems.
Looking back on the decades one has passed you realise that the only unchanging facts of life are sunrise and sunset. But even the appearance of its timing varies from day to day.
The nature is changing subtly slowly but surely.
When did you experience the sweet smell from the parched earth at the first shower of rain?
Where is the daily incessant 'crik,crik' of the cicadas  after the sunset?
Where is the 'draaw,draaw ' of the frogs with the first monsoon shower?
Leave aside frogs;one doesn't see even the toads,the snails, the jugnu s,the fireflies.
The dandelions,the ekdaandi have disappeared from the roadside.
The sparrows are fast deserting us.
One thing is unchanged;its too cruel to mention
And there are no guesses for that.

काय भाऊ .....?

                              It was Sunday.

 We left Frankfurt for Cologne to meet daughter-in-law's cousin. While his wife got busy cooking an Indian meal for 'in law's' folks, we went sight seeing.First things first.and therefore to  the Dom.

Thousands of tourists and devotees thronged the precincts and all kinds of people were to be seen-junkies,punks, hobos. Multiple nationalities of different complexions,and indulging in all kinds of activities.

And here in our vernacular newspapers in Pune we read about "गडाचे   पावित्र्य  ..." etc.,etc !! 

 

                                 

                                                                                                                  

 



 

  



                                                                                

                                              

                                 

                                                     

The Dom was bathed in brilliant summer evening sunshine     .

                               

After a walk around we went to a kiosk for something cold. Having placed an order for ice sream the host and Lalita  looked around and found a shop  selling Eau de Cologne 'No 4711'. Feeling nostalgic - that was a most sought after duty free item available in Naval ship's Canteens in 50's (20th Century if you please !).

From the table behind one suddenly heard a conversation in Marathi. I looked back and found these 2 obviously Indians who were around wherever we were .At that time I thought they were Turkish or Egyptians.

राणे from पुणे

                                                     


Hearing the lingo ....                       
 I couldn't help myself.
" काय भाऊ कुठले ?" I asked.
"पुण्याचे , तुम्ही? " I answered.
 He stated that he was राणे from पुणे !
It transpired that 'Rane from Pune'was working in Cologne for last 9 years.
Soon the host returned and I introduced him to Rane and his colleague.When Rane discovered that my host was also from Pune he asked him.
"कोणची शाळा ?" "अभिनव ,तुम्ही ?" 'मी पण " "Principal कोण ?" "Mrs Chandavarkar".

We were delighted conversing in Marathi thereafter.It's really a pleasure to meet a co linguist so far away anywhere ion this earth.
And guess what we had for dinner?
वरण भात

Reflections and Transparency



Tranquility



 

. Normally many enthusiast photographers take pictures with a theme in mind such as 'sunset at ....' or 'from the top of ....' !
Some time ago at Ganpatipule beach I saw an enthusiastic honeymooner asking his beloved to hold her hands in a cup shape and wait to click the camera as soon as the setting  globe of the sun just rested on her hands !!

In my album I found these pictures which happen to be 'reflections', though these were not deliberately taken at that time as a theme.

 

Reflection in Pure Glass

  






Tranquility

 

Periscopic Reflection



Reflection

 



Transparency and Reflection

While looking at these pictures I was wondering how these differing media - water and glass- share some interestingly common properties such as reflectivity and transparency. I thought I could find an answer to this in a Physics lesson on the net.
During my search, I was amazed to find that a blogger was trying to seek the answer to the same question in 2006 !. At a most interesting URL http://blog.plover.com/physics  , titled 'The Universe of Discourse' amongst a whole lot of  curiosities in Physics, the author discusses this topic under the title "The Nature of Transparency"
Interesting how the same thought could originate in two different minds not only geographically distant but also in different time frame.

Of course I still haven't found an answer to my query !!



 

 










 

















Beer At Smokies

On Saturday Datta,Prabha and us went to Smokies for beer. This is the only place in amche Pune where they brew their own beer.

When grandson Varun heard this he threw a fit.

"Whaaa..t?" he exclaimed as if he heard us visiting some unmentionable place. We told him that it was during daytime. This relieved him.

Smokies Bar and Diner is at Corinthian Club and virtually 'out of bounds' for the oldies at night.

But for the youngsters it's a great place to spend a riotous evening with rollicking music with fresh beer and great eats.

Down the Memory Lane

A very pedestrian title for a blog. Can't help it though.
I think ,I have a very strong memory, specially for some events that took place in my infancy. But no one believes in me. Now that I am old enough there's hardly anyone around to doubt my prowess!
I was born in Miraj in Maharashtra. I remember, very distinctly, to have seen a camel when I must have been all of one and a half years of age ! Then around the same age I remember a train journey where even today I recollect to have seen a shaft of light entering thru the compartment window.
No one believes me!
Hello!
Last year when I had visited my nephew in London, he showed me a tattered photo print of a picture,which now no one in my family can doubt ,was circa 1933.

Can't be wrong this time You can clearly see me in the front row extreme left. Excepting for the girl on extreme right in that row- my cousin's daughter and one year older than me and also a famous doctor- the rest of the dozen personalities in the photo are no more,alas !
At the centre in the back row is my maternal grandfather. He had served in the erstwhile princely state of Dewas near Indore. I was told by one of my mamas* that he was a contemporary of the famous writer E.M Forster and one of the characters in one of his novels 'Passage to India' was based on this grand old man !
This house still exists. Very recently I took a picture of the scene of this photograph. I wonder how all of us fitted in the doorway ,way back in 1933 ! And wonder of wonders how the photographer took the picture with is archaic camera !!

                                                                 

* mama is maternal uncle (purely for the followers who do not follow the lingo) 

Ceramics and me

I am in ceramics for so many years now. 18 odd years may be!!
The term ceramics as is known in most of Pune, is not what the word is known in the rest of  the world . In Pune they buy pots from Kumbharwada and paint them with various media and call it "Cold Ceramics".One must admit that these articles are very attractive but they do not appeal to the purist.
Basically 'ceramics' means heated clay and the process involves all the elements of the universe:prithvi ,aap,aakash,vayu ,tej and agni.By the combinations of these  factors the craftsman produces an article which is either an object of art or of utility
Over the years, most of the articles produced by me have been given away to friends and relations.Some of the articles with me are in the picture below.

Some of my handwork

How did I get into this rather bizarre hobby for a practicing medical professional?

Perhaps, at the back of my mind was my school days experience . I had spent a few days holidays(in 1944 to be precise) at my cousin's place at Khanapur near Belgaum.in Karnataka He had opened a ceramics factory. A few days  that I spent with him I used to go to his factory and dabble in shaping something out of clay by hand or on a wheel or in molds.I used to process in the kiln whatever I made kiln  including glazing. I found the experience quite fascinating at that time.

Bal Wad

May be with this background,  in 1990 when my granddaughter was 8 year old I wanted to gift her a potter's wheel to her on her birthday
. It took me 3 years to locate and buy an electric potter's wheel. But by now the child had grown out of a possibility of getting into this rather' dirty ' hobby, specially in a small balcony of my daughter's flat on 23rd floor of her building on Peddar Road in Mumbai.

I thought why not I get into this hobby? I then started looking for a 'guru' and was extremely fortunate to find one in amache Pune, in the person of Shri Bal Wad.

 Having plenty of space in the premises of my bungalow I was able to construct a kiln; wood fired to start with and then the present LPG fired one. My present kiln provided with a pyrometer and I have also fabricated kiln furniture

 I acquired books and also got an opportunity to work with renowned ceramics artists like Nirmala Patwardhan, and Kristine Michele. In 1993 I got a placement with Ray Meeker at his Golden Bridge Pottery at Pondichery. I couldn't attend his 6 month's course as I developed sprain in my knee followed by osteoarthritis

 I attended workshops at a number of places like Sanskriti in Delhi and a Raku Course at IIT, Powai, Mumbai

I have also gave demonstrations at my friend Tino Gasper's workshop at Verne in Goa and participated in Art exhibitions sponsored by  late Surabhi Nag.

In 1999 I had a pleasant experience of meeting Shri Kripal Singh of Jaipur Blue fame.

Bal Wad used to talk about his guru, in ceramics especially in glazing, a "Mr. Kale'. A Mr. Kale this and "Mr. Kale that every now and then!!.

One day when Bal Wad was away while I was working at his studio an old gentleman walked in. We were both surprised to see each other. As we were expressing our surprise Bal wad walked in. He introduced me to the stranger as 'Mr. Kale' his 'guru' who was no other than my cousin from Khanapur - Haribhau. After an unsuccessful attempt at running a ceramic factory, Haribhau Kale left Khanapur and joined ACC. There he got himself a name as an expert in ceramicsin general and glazing in particular !!

A circle in my training at ceramics was thus completed when I met Haribhau 44 years later *.

* Of course we used to meet at family get together, but never ever did word 'ceramics' was mentioned in our conversation !

Birdbrain*

In my garden on a slender branch of almandia creeper you can see this nest built by a sun bird. Apparently in this species the female builds the nest and not the male as is the normal practice amongst birds in general. Don't brand me as a male chauvinist; not in the least have I even hinted the reasons for choosing the site of the future home where this female is going to raise her family !

The site is subject to the stealth of numerous crows and crow pheasants who raid these nests and declare their triumph to their colleagues who have a field day in our housing colony.

Our housing colony is located in former orchard land. All of the residents have over 20 years created woods around their houses for birds to nest and breed.

While noticing this sensless activity, we all know that birds do have a herd instinct. Birds of a feather, flock together. Witness,every morning,the pigeons and brahmany maynas and other species of birds flocking together on the electricity cables in front of our house.They wait patiently for their b'fast provided by a benevolent Jain lady in our neighbourhood , who lays their feed religiously every morning between 0630 and 0700.

My suspicion that they actively communicate with each other is strengthened by an incident which took place a few years ago. In my bedroom I have installed an exhaust fan. One day a pigeon came through the gap and perched on my wardrobe. When I tried to shoe the bird away it retraced the path and sat on one of the blades of the exhaust fan. Pronto,I switched on the fan and with a flutter and flying off of some feathers the bird flew away.Luckily it didn't perish and perhaps escaped  injured.

After this incident no bird has ever ventured into my bedroom either through this route or even the wide open door to the balcony.I wonder whether the 'wounded soldier' went and spread the word to his flock about the 'wicked old man who lives on the first floor of No.5 Sopan Baug' ! And the pigeons in our colony seem to have inherited this knowledge over generations!!

Are birds really 'birdbrained'?

* Thesaurus explains 'birdbrain' meaning 'stupid',, 'scattered brained ,etc

HOTPOT: "Gullible's Troubles"

HOTPOT: "Gullible's Troubles"