Categories
Musings

The Last Hurrah?


Roger Federer
Roger Federer (Image by Squeaky Knees)

It’s well past 10:00 pm. I have to get up early tomorrow morning to get to work. My father nudges me more than a few times. I need to rest my weary eyes.

Roger Federer is struggling in his quarterfinal match against Stanislas Wawrinka.

‘Not again!’ I say to myself. Is he going to miss this one too? Both of us are on the edge of our seats, hoping we weren’t watching yet another upset.

I had missed every single match he had played in the tournament. With the newspapers focusing on the football extravaganza, Federer had slipped under the radar of most news reports, becoming only a one-line announcement in articles dedicated to other flamboyant players.

I followed as closely as I could; half expecting a line saying he’d been knocked out; and at the same time, hoping he was still playing competitively.

Playing in his quarterfinal match against his compatriot, Wawrinka, I couldn’t help but think his campaign was going to end. And like all those other matches, I’d end up watching the only match he lost. The past few years I had stopped watching his matches for this very reason. It’s hard to think that my watching television could have an impact on the result, but that’s how it invariably was.

Later today, Roger plays his semi-final. Many people have written him off. His run this Wimbledon may well be attributed to the ‘easy’ draw he’s been given. It’s very tempting for me to skip the match. It can be painful to watch him lose on the court he used to own not so long ago.

But I will still stay up tonight. I won’t bother about the result.  His best days may have passed him by and it is very possible he may not win another match*. But I do not want to regret missing a match, when I am lucky to be part of the generation which get’s to watch, arguably, one of the greatest grass court players of all time, play live.

* Federer, please prove me wrong.

Image Credit: Roger Federer (26 June 2009, Wimbledon) by Squeaky Knees CC-BY-2.0

Categories
Stories

Well Hidden

Upon entering Rajon ki Baoli

It was in the first week of March, late in the afternoon. Winter was receding and the weather was just perfect for going monument hunting.

Before leaving, we ran a quick search on the internet. A map in hand, we got off at the Qutab Minar Metro station and walked along the road. After about fifteen minutes, we entered a small opening.

It’s called a park. But we soon realised we were in a jungle.

landmark
The water ‘stream’ which served as our landmark

We tried to figure out where we were on the map. We turned the map around, trying to align it with the shadows, to get a sense of which direction to head towards. As it turned out, we were poor map readers. We took different paths, each one giving us different leads, and none of them making any presence on the map.

Along each dust road, we saw broken and crumbling remains of the past, surrounded by the filth of ‘modern’ day. The old ruins told us we were somewhere – but not exactly where. After taking three different roads, and ending up at the same water stream, I folded the map and put it inside my pocket.

We asked some locals for directions. Some of them gave us a vague direction in which to go. One lady pointed out that we had entered the wrong gate, and that the proper entrance was ahead along the main road. There was, however, a way through the village. We had come too far inside. If we were to turn back, it would only be to return another day.

A middle-aged gentleman gave us two sets of directions; the one he recommended, was longer and clean, through the main road; the other was shorter and filthy, through the village. We gambled on the shorter one. We had already walked a lot, and since we were wearing shoes, we didn’t think filth would be much of a problem. If only we knew better.

crumbling
Was this a garbage dumping ground 4 centuries ago?

We walked along the narrow, steep village roads and crossed a stretch of rotting garbage. But it was a foul-smelling stretch of pigs, which made us run as fast as we could. We continued on the path, wondering what else was in store. As per the directions, we had to take another turn. There were trees all around and we still couldn’t figure out where we were. We decided between ourselves, that if we did not find anything in the next 5 minutes, we’d look for the way out.

And then, just after turning, we saw a stone signboard.

wall
The wall, well hidden; the security guard stands out like a sore thumb

Almost an hour after entering the jungle, we stood facing a stone wall. We walked around and climbed up the stairs.

Rajon ki baoli, read the stone sign.  The mason’s stepwell. We had reached what we had come looking for. Tired wanderers, the thirst of our eyes was finally quenched with the sight of the well.

Upon entering Rajon ki Baoli
The corridors along the side of the well
View from the top
The well
Stairs leading up to the roof

For those of you who have a little better sense of direction, hopefully this map will help. Clearly, we didn’t do our homework properly. To view the interactive map on Google Maps, click here. For better photographs, ask Wiki

How to reach Rajon ki baoli
How to reach Rajon ki baoli
How to get a good workout
How to get a good workout
Categories
Hobbies

Matryoshka


matroyshka

Categories
Miscellaneous

Here we go again!

We hereby declare the 2014 Great Indian Political Circus, open

We hereby declare the 2014 Great Indian Political Circus, open
We hereby declare the 2014 Great Indian Political Circus, open
Love it, or hate it, you can’t ignore it. Television, radio, newspaper, bus shelters, street lights, auto-rickshaws, WhatsApp, pamphlets, door-to-door, stadia, SMS, loudspeakers – and I’m sure even the kitchen sink at a restaurant!!

The air’s heavy, the street’s are full of political discourses. Complete strangers debating in hallways.

The world watches as the largest democracy begins it largest ever electoral exercise. Today, my dear friends, we decide the future of country. Go on! Show off you ink-stained index finger.

Categories
Stories

Street Life – A Bug’s Point of View


Dear diary,

Spring arrived the other day, right on time. I wasn’t expecting her for another week or so. But it was such a relief! Just a day earlier, the humans had suffered from their annual fits. They had defaced the streets with their fluorescent colours, and it was really depressing. So, it was a delight to see spring this time – indeed, as it is every year!

Thunder was also so excited. He came storming into the city almost every single day. He hugged every tree, and shook hands with every single branch. It was embarrassing to see so many leaves falling for him! I have told him to control himself, but when has he ever listened to a small bug!

Leaving that aside, I’m really looking forward to spring’s wardrobe. Her sense of style is simply unbeatable. Every year she introduces me to new shades of colours. And the floral prints, well they will never go out of style, as long as she’s here!

The afternoons are now becoming hotter – a warning that summer is well on her way here. I better go tell those leaves out there to shift a little, so that I can spend some time with spring while she’s still here.

That’s it for now!

leaves and bougainvillea

Street Life!

Categories
Hobbies

After the storm


After the storm

Aftermath

Categories
Hobbies

Designing the year – Newsletters


As the last few hours bring the curtains down on the year, here’s the last in the series of my recap of the year. Like the previous two posts in this series, this one too will focus on my work with the Alumni Association.

Designing for specific events allowed me to satisfy my creative hunger. But it was the newsletters, which really challenged me. We had to deliver an issue every month, and there were many months when we didn’t make it in time. The design had its teething problems, and there were some months when we were struggling for content.

Eventually though, we managed to get the content and design in order. And it took no less than nine months of experimenting with the layout and features.

Of the twelve issues we pulled this year, October was the blockbuster of the year (at least for me). I had the most fun working on this one – I got the chance to play the designer, illustrator, content writer, as well as the editor – and we sent it on time!

So here it is, in all its glory – Issue #10. I hope you like it as much as I do.

With best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year, thank you for sticking around 🙂 See you in 2014!

Categories
Hobbies

One


image

Weekly photo challenge : One

Categories
Hobbies

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Categories
Hobbies

Designing the year – Invitations

Hindi Poetry Evening - page 1

As we count down to the new year, I recap the year almost gone by.

Being a member of the Alumni Association of my college, I had a lot of design work on my plate. The last post covered posters from the year. In this post,  a couple of e-invitations I designed for the events organised by the Association.

Sufi Evening and Dinner
Hindi Poetry Evening – page 1