Four things to do on a weekend in the Nilgiris.

March 7, 2014, 9:35 pm

≫ Next: Shopping for Kawaii in Hong Kong

The Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains have a laid back magic for which you need time to revel in the magic but if you're short on time here are my four suggestions which give you an opportunity to re connect with nature and discover an appreciation for the simple things.

Wake up early and listen to the birdsong and identify the local flora.

Step out in the morning and give yourself a sensory workout.

Breathe in the fresh air scented with eucalyptus and pine. Most people in the Nilgiris are proud of their gardens so try and identify the local flora. There are perennials like the Geraniums, Azalea, Agapanthus lily, Hydrangea, Camellia to name a few.

The seasonals to look out for are the Jacaranda trees which turn the hillsides misty purple in March - April and the Poinsettia put on a great show from December - March.

There is the Kurinji flower which grows wild on the hillsides and bloom once in twelve years turning entire hillsides purple. They are expected to bloom next in 2018 between July and December.

Camellia

If the birdsong doesn't wake you up then listen to the birdsong while you sip your morning cuppa.You will be delighted by the antics of the busy little birds.March to April you may find nests and fledglings like this Bulbul in its nest.
You might come across Gaur or Bison grazing in the tea estates, please don't approach them, watch them from a good hundred feet or more because they are wild and can be unpredictable especially if there are calves.

Azalea

Take a ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Do some part of the 26 kilometers the Nilgiri passenger covers from Ooty to Mettupalayam. Travelling through 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges. The entire journey will take you close to five hours if you are going uphill from Mettupalayam to Ooty and three and a half hours if you are travelling down hill from Ooty to Mettupalayam.

There are ten stations on the journey not including Mettupalayam and Ooty and they are Kallar where the rack rail begins. Adderly , Hillgrove, Runneymede, Kateri Road Station, Coonoor which is the main intermediate station and the top end of the rack rail. The locomotive is noramlly changed here. Wellington Station, Aruvankadu, Ketti , Lovedale and finally Ooty.
The shortest distance would be Ooty to Lovedale from where one can take a bus back to Ooty or else make a day trip to Coonoor and take in the sights there, Sims park, Lambs Rock and Dolphin's Nose.

Buy Local
Local brands are worth looking out for and sampling when you are in the Nilgiris.
Last Forest is a brand promoted by Keystone Foundation in Kotagiri. They have a wide range of products on offer - spices, honey, soaps and balms to name a few. They have their own shop in Bedford, Coonoor called The Green Shop.

Grey's Hill for the most delicious jams, chutneys and preserves made with seasonal produce such as billberry and plum.

Acres Wild for cheese.Date and walnut cake and Shortbread from Green Acres in Ketti.
You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to tea. Local brands are Korakundah, Chamraj,Glendale to name a few.

All these brands are available at Modern Stores near Assembly Rooms in Ooty and Bakers Junction, Bedford in Coonoor.
Modern Stores has an impressive selection of chocolates which you must indulge in.

Dine at Shinkows
For all those studying in the boarding schools in Ooty, Shinkows is an institution. Forty years back it was the only restaurant in town and eating at Shinkows was a treat. Its good wholesome food, don't expect the regular Indian Chinese.

The decor in the Zodiac room hasn't changed nor the menu. Chilly Chicken is still 13A and you are still handed a little pad and pen to note down your order from the menu which has a number for every dish.

Hand your order list to the waiter and he'll confirm your order, rattling off the names of dishes just looking at the numbers.

Have you visited the Nilgiris? What would your recommendations be for a short break in the Blue Mountains?

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Shopping for Kawaii in Hong Kong

March 20, 2014, 10:44 am

≫ Next: The Dosa and its many avatars.

≪ Previous: Four things to do on a weekend in the Nilgiris.

Shopping and Hong Kong are synonymous but how many people do you know who equate shopping for kawaii with Hong Kong? Its no secret that after Japan, Hong Kong scores as the best place to shop for kawaii. Besides, the prices promise you more 'cuteness' for the buck. Here's what I found.

Let's start with Bento boxes. These moulds can transform the five essential food groups into little morsels of yummy cuteness.

Little animal themed containers, a little surprise in each one.

Food picks, irresistible aren't they? I resisted and I regret now.
All these bento box essentials and more can be bought at City Super's four locations in Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Shatin.
If the culinary arts and kawaii are your thing then head to Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon to browse the wholesale crockery and cutlery shops. Great place to buy that long yearned for Hello Kitty cake pan, bamboo picks topped with little wooden hearts and smiley faces and cute chocolate fondue sets in bright happy colours which only requires a tea light to keep the chocolate warm and molten. You can also stock up on cupcake cases and doilies which are sold in large wholesale packs.

Sham Shui Po which is haberdashery heaven and needless to say a treasure trove of kawaii. I spent half a day in a quandary trying to make up my mind about what not to buy. I couldn't resist tiny centimetre and a half maneki neko bells which make adorable cellphone charms and miniature wooden clothes pegs with tiny wooden ladybirds stuck on them. There are ribbons, buttons, sew on patches,beads of different sizes and shapes and an array of fabrics.

Visit Sasa, a chain of cosmetic stores where I saw the most amazing range of Dolly Wink false eyelashes and if its kawaii and cosmetics you seek Sasa won't disappoint.
The 7 Eleven chain in Hong Kong celebrated the 40th anniversary of Hello Kitty with a special 'Hello Party' themed edition of thirty collectable toy editions of Hello Kitty and her friends. Hello Kitty and her friends are dressed up as popular fairytale characters and aristocrats. Hello Kitty is a princess, Dear Daniel a prince, Kerookerokeroppi as a bishop. HK$ 20 spent at any 7 Eleven got you a special bonus sticker.You had to collect 16 special bonus stickers or 6 stickers and HK$ 20 in order to redeem a collectable toy. I managed to acquire Patty and Jimmy dressed up as guards and I've left instructions with my nephew to collect bonus stickers for any future kawaii promotions.
Hong Kong's Octopus Card Company has had launches of their cards in conjunction with Hello Kitty products in the past. You might want to check if there is a promotion running when you visit Hong Kong, after all you may need to buy yourself an Octopus card to get around.
McDonalds is another good place to garner yourself some kawaii merchandise.

Sanrio has multiple stores in Hong Kong for Hello Kitty products and San-X's Rilakkuma is equally popular.
Kawaii extends to food as well. There is a Hello Kitty Le Petit Cafe in the SOGO store in Causeway Bay. The cute horse themed mochi in the picture above were photographed in City Super. Look out for kawaii themed food and beverages in the little bakeries and cafes that dot the city.

Two other must visit locations are Stanley Market in Stanley and Fa Yeun Street in Central. There's Fa Yeun Street East and West which are alleyways between huge office towers. The small stalls and shops sell inexpensive souvenirs, knick knacks, clothing and accessories.I had a modest collection of kawaii after a morning of shopping at Elegant Tang Dynasty on Fa Yeun Street.

Kawaii is serious business and I've barely scratched the surface in this post. I've decided when I get a chance to visit Japan, the mothership of all things kawaii, it will be dedicated to the aquisition of unique kawaii merchandise.
I'm keeping in touch with the world of kawaii through vlogs on YouTube and blogs which are dedicated to the pursuit and purchase of kawaii. I'm creating a list and on it are squishies and Re-Ment boxes and the elusive Konapun kits. The list will grow as I delve into this sub culture of all things cute.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

↧

The Dosa and its many avatars.

April 6, 2014, 5:06 am

≫ Next: The Carved doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar

≪ Previous: Shopping for Kawaii in Hong Kong

When we travel I make it a point to eat dosas.At one point in time it was a treat because I just couldn't make the perfect dosa batter. Now that hurdle has been crossed and there's dosa batter in the fridge most days of the week.It's the perfect fall back option,its quickly prepared, is satisfying and makes me look like a kitchen diva.

Masala Dosa

The classic Masala Dosa made in Tamil Nadu must be thin and crisp and rolled into a cylinder with a potato filling inside which is the masala. The Masala Dosa is served with sambar and coconut chutney. The Mysore Masala Dosa which is thicker, has a spicy garlic chutney smeared on the inside of the dosa and then the potato filling or masala is put into the folded dosa and a dollop of butter put on the dosa. If you're thinking this is sinful then there's the Davangere Benne Dosa. I sampled it in Davangere thanks to a craft project I was involved in, in the area. Dripping homemade butter, its to die for.

Ragi dosa.

I first ate a Ragi dosa with vegetable korma when I was on a craft project in Tirunelvelli back in the 90's. Memories of choking down Ragi porridge aptly named mud porridge for breakfast, when in boarding school, stopped me from ordering the ragi dosa. Everything on the menu had been ordered at least twice during my fifteen day project. I finally ordered the ragi dosa and korma becuase the waiter sold it to me. I really enjoyed it.

My altered opinion of Ragi had me looking for ragi dosas on menus but I didn't find it until a recent visit to Kamat Lokaruchi on the Bangalore - Mysore highway. It was more a Ragi onion dosa served with a mxed vegetable curry and coconut chutney. I probably found it in Karnataka because Ragi or finger millet is an important part of the local diet.

Ragi dosas are now a part of my repertoire, first for the sake of nutrition and health. Ragi or Finger Millet is a rich source of Calcium, Iron, Protien and Fiber and secondly I'm trying to find simple recipes which use lesser know ingredients or ones which are ignored and on the verge of being forgotten altogether.

Rava dosa.

The Rava dosa is one that requires no time for fermentation of the batter. Its a batter made of readily available ingredients - rava (fine semolina), rice flour, plain flour (maida), jeera ( cumin), curry leaves,chopped green chilly, chopped onion and coriander leaves for flavour.Mix all the ingredients with water and your batter is ready.

The Rava dosa is one that's on most restaurant menus along with the Onion rava dosa.

Neer Dosa.
Neer means water in Kannada and the batter for the dosa is very watery hence the name. Least oily of all dosas. The batter too doesn't require fermentation. At Kamat Lokaruchi, Neer Dosa is served with grated coconut mixed with jaggery, coconut chutney and a mixed vegetable curry.
The texture of the Neer Dosa makes it perfect for sopping up prawn or fish curry.
I need to start making Neer dosas. I discovered the Neer Dosa only after coming to live in Bangalore and eating at restaurants serving Manglorean cuisine.

Set Dosa.
Set Dosas come in sets of three small fluffy pancake type dosas served with coconut chutney and vegetable saagu or curry.
The story goes that restaurants sold four dosas per plate but customers found it difficult to finish four dosas so they started ordering 'half set' at half the price. Eventually the restaurateurs made it a set of three dosas and that's come to stay. The Set Dosa is again popular right across Karnataka.

If the Dosa has many avatars its because the taste appeals to almost everybody, its umami if you ask me. In texture it can be crisp and crumbly or soft and spongy and compliments the taste and textures of the chutney, sambar or saagu it's served with.
The Keema Dosa at the college canteen was a treat remembered with nostalgia each time I order it at a restaurant specialising in Kongunadu cuisine.
If you're seeking attention order the Family Roast and watch when people turn to gaze open mouthed as a waiter carefully carries a four foot long dosa over to your table. It will feed the family, its so large. The 'Muttai Dosa' or egg dosa bridges the vegetarian, non-vegetarian divide.
The lesser known Kambu Dosa made from Pearl Millet or bajra are made at home and the restaurants which serve them are few and far between. I need to start making them.
Dosas are perfect street food.There's a dosa cart that sets up shop on the street each evening at 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore and offers 99 varieties of dosas.
When a friend wrote about a new restaurant in the neighbourhood which served an excellent variety of dosas on Facebook, another person asked if the Szechuan dosa was available. I was intrigued. I had never heard of it but a quick google search and I found any number, here's a Mumbai roadside one by Tarla Dalal which has instructions to make a Jain Szechuan Chopsuey Dosa as well as a Paneer Szechuan Dosa.
If memory serves me right Woody's in Ahmedabad had a North South Dosa on their menu.
Geography, culture, locally available ingredients, seasonal ingredients, creative chefs and memories have fashioned the many avatars of the Dosa.

Do you make Dosas? Do you have a list of dosa joints which simply rock? and like Quick Gun Murugan who orders a whiskey with his masala dosa what would you pair your order of dosa with?

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

↧

The Carved doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar

April 15, 2014, 8:47 am

≫ Next: The Colour Purple

≪ Previous: The Dosa and its many avatars.

Stone Town, Zanzibar was built in the 1830's when the archipelago was under the rule of the Sultan of Oman.

19th century Stone Town flourished as a trading hub which specialised in spices and slaves. the thriving commerce attracted bussiness communities from Persia, Oman and India.

A large Indian community in the business of trade continues to make Stone Town their home.

Narrow alleyways criss-cross Stone Town and in this maze are shops, houses, bazaars and mosques. The alleys are so narrow that only bicycles and scooters can be used to traverse them and the buildings on either side rise up two floors or more and have been built cheek by jowl with the establishment next door. Walking down an alley one perceives a continous expanse of masonry on either side punctuated at irregular intervals with barred and shuttered windows and the most magnificent carved wooden doors. The upper floors of the houses probably have views of the sea if they are on the periphery of Stone Town.

The doors of this Unesco World heritage site are simply remarkable. There are two types of doors. The rectangular top Omani doors and the arched or rounded top of the Indian doors. The old doors and hanging balconies were carved by craftsmen from the Indian sub continent.

Heavy old doors intricately carved but many are in a state of disrepair.

The stylised lotus motif symbolising prosperity is a recurring motif on these carved doors.

The pointed brass studs on the doors are an Indian feature. In India, the studs were an important design element which prevented elephants from ramming down the doors of palaces and fortifications. Stone Town is not likely to have an elephant amble down its alleyways but the brass studs have become a decorative element characteristic of the doors in Stone Town.

The blue door. The only painted door I came across.

The house of Tipu Tip (1837 - 1905) which is undergoing renovation. Tipu Tip was governor, clove plantation owner, explorer and a trader in ivory and slaves. His house has an underground channel which connects to the sea. This channel was used to bring in slaves to be hidden in his house and taken out under the cover of darkness to a slave ship which was ready to sail. Tipu Tip continued to trade in slaves after slavery was banned.

A magnificent example of carving. The stylised foliage is exceptional.

Verses from the Koran are carved into some doors.

Stone Town was included on UNESCO's World Heritage sites in 2000.

An unusual door, different from the other doors. This door is squat and has a geometrical pattern of recessed rectangles and metal studs. No elaborately carved door jambs or lintel, with only a narrow floral strip in the centre.

Stone Town gets its name from the coral stone used in building the structures.History and traditions whether its European, Arab, African or Indian have mingled to create a unique Zanzibarian culture.
Put Zanzibar on your list of places to visit.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.
As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

↧

The Colour Purple

June 5, 2014, 9:39 am

≫ Next: Sunflowers for the Summer Solistice

≪ Previous: The Carved doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar

Am I the only one who's noticed this phenomena or have you noticed it too?

In the past decade or so more and more people have taken to painting their houses and business establishment in bright colours.

This penchant for bright colours stems from the need to stand out I would think, after all there's 1.2 billion of us jostling for attention. More than ever before, the burgeoning middle classes are becoming proud, first time home owners and a distinctive exterior colour for their new home makes a statement. Besides, visitors won't have to bother with GPS they would just have to look for the purple house with orange and green trim.

Could the need to be unique be the only reason? Asking around I was told these bright colours were Vastu colours. Of these vastu colours I'm partial to purple because it doesn't feature prominently in the Indian art and culture colour palette with the exception of Indian sarees be it Kanchipuram, Ilkal and Benares to name a few.

According to Vastu, purple inspires respect whereas this interesting infographic of colours and their significance around the world says purple in India denotes sorrow,comfort and nobility.

In the past if purple was not visible was it the preserve of only the wealthy because it was expensive to create? I know with natural dyes fabric or yarn would have to be dyed twice - with indigo and then with madder to achieve a deep rich colour like the colour of the jamun fruit. A beautiful colour but no match for the brilliance and intensity of the purples which chemical dyes and paints could produce.

Vastu and the building boom has taken Egg Plant Delite, Velvet Night, Dark Triumph, Intense Purple and Orchid Bloom from merely existing in an Asian Paints shade card and unleashed them on the landscape along with a hundred different bright colours.

Purple spotting has become one of my pet projects.Purple pops up in unexpected places like this freshly painted house glimpsed while driving along a back road in the Nilgiris.

Before the mist shrouds these purple beauties.

If you have to make a statement and you want to stand out purple wins hand down. Not limited to paint, purple has caught the imagination of the people with this song Oodha colour ribbon from the Tamil movie Varutha Padatha Valibar Sangam.
Have you spotted purple recently? what was it? I'm curious.

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Sunflowers for the Summer Solistice

June 21, 2014, 11:49 pm

≫ Next: Noodle Carts of Vijayawada

≪ Previous: The Colour Purple

To celebrate the Summer Solistice and the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere I've decided to post pictures of sunflowers which I photographed last week.

Between Hangala and Gundulpet are fields of sunflowers on either side of the road.

Technically summer has given way to the monsoon season in India and fields of nodding cheerful sunflowers makes the drive so much more special.

A field of these bright cheerful flowers are sure to inspire most people, it certainly inspired Van Gogh.

Cultivated for their seeds these sunflowers are the source of sunflower oil.

Enjoy the summerand all that it has to offer you.

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Noodle Carts of Vijayawada

July 13, 2014, 6:21 am

≫ Next: Bringing in the catch - Bandar Beach

≪ Previous: Sunflowers for the Summer Solistice

Carts selling spicy Indian Chinese food are a common sight on the streets of Vijayawada. Vegetable and chicken fried rice, noodles and the much loved manchuri are on offer.

A noodle cart doing brisk business at a busy intersection in Vijayawada.

Jai Hanuman noodle cart.

Chinese man teaching dragons table manners? on the front of Jai Hanuman noodle cart. The dragon holding up a dried branch is my favourite.There's a different scene painted on each cart.

The B. Joshua noodle cart has a couple of Chinese men feeding their pet dragon/dinosaur noodles.
I can't read Telegu and initially thought the number 36 was the price of a plate of noodles but discovered later it was an identification number along with the address.

Arisitc interpretations of the dragon. The dragon on the Jai Hanuman noodle cart (L) and the dragon on B. Joshua noodle cart (R).

The B. Joshua noodle cart (above) and most other noodle carts open for business by five in the evening.They arrive with boiled noodles and chicken, chopped cabbage,carrot and other assorted vegetables along with trays of eggs. A gas cylinder and stove, a large iron wok and bottles of soya sauce, chilli sauce and tomato ketchup and you're ready to do business.

Every street corner has a noodle cart doing brisk business. They come equipped with a couple of plastic stools for patrons to sit on and enjoy their Chinese meal or you can get your order packed to take away.

I'd love to meet the artists who paint these dragons and try to discover where they derive the images which decorate these noodle carts.
Have you come across such wacky wonderful pieces of popular art on the streets of your neighbourhood? I love to hear about them and perhaps get to see them at some point in time.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.
As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

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Bringing in the catch - Bandar Beach

November 4, 2014, 6:36 am

≫ Next: Ayyanars - Village Guardians

≪ Previous: Noodle Carts of Vijayawada

Photographed one cloudy afternoon on Bandar beach, Andhra Pradesh with my Samsung S4.

Tiny dots on the horizon turned into humming fishing boats manned by a crew of five or six. Once the boat was past the breakers, the outboard motors were turned off and hauled on board. The crew jumped into the surf and pushed the boats down the beach. There must be a settlement further down the beach.

They kept coming. Must have seen over fifteen and they continued I presume long after I left.

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Ayyanars - Village Guardians

December 22, 2014, 6:44 am

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Red

≪ Previous: Bringing in the catch - Bandar Beach

We've travelled from Bangalore to Coimbatore frequently in the past two years. Small villages go by in a flash but I've noticed large masonry forms of fearsome looking men on the outskirts of villages.

These massive figures are the Aiyanar or village gods. They are the guardians of the village.

The Ayyanar figures are flanked by figures of dogs and horses. The horses transport the Ayyanars around the village at night. This shrine is right beside the six lane highway in Toppur.

To give you an idea of the scale of these Ayyanar figures, you can catch a glimpse of a man between the figure of the horse and the pedestal on which the Ayyanar is seated.

Board on the side of a temple.

Ayyanar shrines are built on the outskirts of the village usually in a small grove of trees.

Each set of Ayyangar statues is unique. They are created by the village potter who also doubles as the officiating priest for the pujas conducted.

These Ayyanar have beards in addition to mustaches and luxuriant hair which grows past their shoulders. Bits of mirror used to highlight the jewellery and other adornments.

Here's one more picture to understand the scale of these Ayyanar figures.

This Ayyanar shrine is more of a temple. The profile of Karuppasamy is just about discernable in the centre. Behind the statue is draped a piece of cloth and arranged on three sides are a mix of mythical beings and ordinary folk or devotees. Can you spot the snake charmer?

Weathered figures of guardians in need of a lick of paint.

Women devotees dressed in the manner contemporary women dress, with flowers in their hair carrying offerings of fruit and a pot of water and on the opposite side are larger than life seated figures with swords in one hand wearing clothes and ornaments from another era. Have you noticed the potter has made each of them just a bit different - they have individual facial features. Was that intentional I wonder.

Outside the shrine is this large figure in mid stride carrying a club accompanied by a dog. The elephant being led by a man is the first I've seen. Quite unusual.
The other thing I've noticed is that most Ayyanar shrines are located under or near one or two neem trees. Which begs the question which came first the trees or the shrine? I wonder and why the neem tree?
Most of these shrines are deserted must see if I can visit one when a puja is on or when there are people there worshipping so I can get answers for all the questions I have.

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Red

January 14, 2015, 11:12 pm

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Orange

≪ Previous: Ayyanars - Village Guardians

Happy new year. Hope the new year is treating you well.

For the past two years I have been participating in the search for Roy G Biv and the discovery of different colours each month are there to see on Million Little Stitches.

Jennifer and Julie co-ordinate this fun activity.

Beginning 2015 with red, here's what I discovered.

Reflection in a red glass wall at a mall.

Somebody must love strawberries.

I don't know the name of this shrub but the flowers are delightful.

Lemon tarts, who doesn't love them.

Pointsettia

Plum cake.

I hope you'll consider joining the search for Roy G Biv 2015. Each month has been assigned a colour (see list below), all you have to do is post five photographs featuring the colour on your blog on the third Thursday of the month.( the list below has the date on which you need to post your finds)

The blog hop to see what each one has found is a treat. Here's a list of colours we'll be looking for in the coming months.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

Visit Julie or Jennifer's blogs for a list of other participants.

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Orange

February 19, 2015, 3:38 am

≫ Next: A Pocketful of Stars

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Red

It's February already and here's what I found, searching for orange.

Hand painted advertisement for a travel agency.

The hisbiscus is a favourite of mine. There are so many different varieties and colours. One, more beautiful than the other.

Musk melon for breakfast.

Roses floating in a huge vessel.

Glass bangles and an orange broom handle.

Julie and Jennifer will have a list of bloggers who are participating this month. Get yourself a cup of tea and enjoy a blog hop discovering orange.

Why don't you participate? Yellow is up next.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

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A Pocketful of Stars

March 1, 2015, 7:12 pm

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Yellow

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Orange

I'm attempting to fold Senbazuru or one thousand origami cranes. I'm doing this with flyers which I get along with the newspaper each morning, movie theaters and I really get lucky when a stack gets left at the reception of our apartment building.

Using the flyers is an attempt to recycle material. In Japan you get a senbazuru kit which includes a thousand pieces of paper, string and beads.

From the rectangular flyers I get a square piece of paper to make my crane and what's left over is another smaller rectangle of paper which I disposed off in the recycle bin.

A couple of weeks back I got lucky with a big stack of flyers which took my count of folded cranes well past hundred. The large stack of flyers left me with a impressive quantity of the smaller rectangles of paper. It then struck me to challenge the recycling idea and find ways to use all of the flyer to create something pretty or useful.

Staying with origami I decided to learn how to make different types of modular origami stars. my inspiration - Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket , save it for a rainy day.

Here's what I've learnt to fold to date ( in descending order) - the transforming ninja star, origami star 'tico', origami spinning star, the fourth one is also the origami star tico with sixteen points which looks different when flipped over.

In the picture above the star with eight points is a variation of the origami star tico.
Non of these require glue and are simple to fold and create.

Do you have a recycling story to share? Do tell, I'm interested.
Now back on the road to discovery and snagging more stars. There will be a sequel or two to come.

Have a good week.

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Yellow

March 19, 2015, 6:21 am

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Green

≪ Previous: A Pocketful of Stars

Grafitti

At the Natural Dye Bazaar in Chennai.

The sources of natural dyes - roots, flowers, minerals and two handmade hot wax applicators.

Leaves and shadows.

Summer is here.

Up to the challenge? Come join our merry band of colour hunters. We're looking for Green next. To view what others found in the search of yellow click here or here.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Green

April 17, 2015, 7:51 pm

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Blue

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Yellow

I'm late posting pictures for Roy this month.

Julie's reminder on Wednesday had me scrambling to see what I had.

Packing up and relocating lock stock and barrel means we've been eating out quite a bit and I've discovered a fair amount of green in the gallery on my phone.

So what do I have.

Great pizza place Onesta, which recently opened in the neighbourhood which I am going to miss

I ordered the thin crust pesto and prawn pizza.

Dahi vada garnished with curry leaves and coriander. Perfect for the hot summer.

Some green in the menu at Cafe Terra.

My order of spinach, corn and cheese sandwich.

Join in the fun. The list below gives you the date when you need to post upto five photographs.
Julie and Jennifer are curating the blog hop.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

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As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Blue

May 21, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Indigo

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Green

Time for Roy G Biv this month has rolled around.

I've had to dive into my archives for some pictures and others were snapped with my phone in the last couple of days.

On the highway between Bangalore and Mysore which we travelled on frequently in the past three years.Small trucks transporting cows was a common sight.

Men drinking tea and reading the newspaper early in the morning at a small tea stall somewhere on the Bangalore Mysore highway.I took this picture for the moulded plastic chairs. These inexpensive, easy to maintain, stackable chairs are everywhere, I'm taking pictures of these chairs inorder to document the varied environments these chairs are found in.

Flaking wall painted with the address of a store.

Blue window frames of a building I pass on the road home.

Julie and Jennifer are curating the blog hop. Visit their blogs to discover all the blues people participating have found this month.
We'll be looking for Indigo next month. Here's the list of colours we'll be looking for in the months to come.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.
As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

↧

Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Indigo

June 19, 2015, 8:01 am

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Violet

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Blue

I love the colour indigo.

It's this love for the colour which got us an indigo blue front door.

Time for Roy G Biv and we're looking for Indigo this month. Julie and Jennifer have a list of people who have joined the hunt for Indigo this month.

What up next - Violet

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

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Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Violet

July 18, 2015, 11:32 pm

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Brown

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Indigo

I'm terribly late this month.
This picture is from my archives. A picture of a Chihulysque type glass chandelier.
Dale Chihuly creates magic with glass. I have a couple of his books and I got to view some of the magic at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Julie and Jennifer have a list of all those who've joined the hunt this month.
We may have come to the end of Roy G Biv but the search goes on until the end of the year with the search for Brown, Gold, Grey, Pink and Blogger's choice.

2015

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

As an affiliate, Flipkart and Amazon will pay me a small percentage of the total amount you spend.You will not be paying anything extra. Thank you.

↧

Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Brown

August 20, 2015, 3:53 am

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Metallic Gold

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Violet

This month it's brown we're looking for and there's no dearth of it in my surroundings. Here's a selection of things which have been keeping me on my toes.

Trying to understand the secret lives of bees. The Queen bee surrounded by her courtiers. Our first attempt at bee keeping.

Early morning visitors - Gaur or Bison, wandering through the pruned tea bushes.

White tea brewed from tea leaves plucked from the tea bushes before they were pruned.

Rusty metal bits.
Julie and Jennifer are coordinating Roy G Biv and they list the participants each month on their blogs.
Gold is the colour we're going to be in search of in the month of September.Time just seems to fly.
January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

↧

Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Metallic Gold

September 20, 2015, 8:25 am

≫ Next: Serching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Grey

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Brown

It's time for Roy once again and metallic gold it is.

Wrappers of butter toffee and the first lily to bloom in the garden. Unfortunately it got blown off its stem by the strong wind blowing one night.

Five rupee coins glinting gold in the change bowl.

I'm late posting this month but the date just sneaked up on me.

To view more metallic gold finds visit Julie and Jennifer's blogs. In fact Jennifer will be updating the list of participants this month.
Where did eight months of this year go? Time seems to gather momentum as the year progresses and by September it's like a run away train. Whew!

January 15 - Red

February 19 - Orange

March 19 - Yellow

April 16 - Green

May 21 - Blue

June 18 - Indigo

July -16 - Violet

August 20 - Brown

September 17 - Gold

October 15 - Grey

November 19 - Pink

December 17 - Blogger's choice.

So we're looking at grey next month and then there's just Pink and Blogger's choice.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

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Serching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Grey

October 15, 2015, 10:59 pm

≫ Next: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Pink

≪ Previous: Searching for Roy G Biv 2015 - Metallic Gold

The colour Grey has been assigned for October and here's what I found.

This one is from my archives. A pigeon feather suspended in mid air. The feather got caught in a spider web and stayed suspended for a couple of weeks. In Bangalore there were many pigeons who had made the apartment building their home and I used to collect the pigeon feathers on my morning walks.

Monsoon a fiber book I made earlier this year. Grey wood of the deck and grey shibori applique.

Grey granite paving stones edged with white river pebbles. This is in the driveway of a restaurant.

Metal dies in the second hand shop.

A stack of circular brushes for some industrial use.

There's just two months left this year. November and December.
To view the greys other participants of Roy have discovered this month, visit Julie and Jennifer's blogs.
See you next month with a selection of pinks.

If you shop on line I would appreciate it if you would click on the Amazon link here or the Flipkart link here to browse and make your purchases.

↧

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