This was a long due post from my visit to the City of Kebabs..err…Nawabs, couple of months ago. A city known for its non veg delicacies amongst other dishes. A work visit, so had very little time to spare and explore. Keeping the same in mind decided to take recos from a close friend Shambavi to avoid the hard-work. Out of the ones she suggested, visited the below.
What matters to me is good food and good company; and when you get both then nothing else matters. This is exactly how it was meant to be last night on my visit to Nosh in Supermart 1, Gurgaon. A few of us were invited by Varun to indulge in his yet to be launched ‘special’ menu for Nosh (the menu goes live from today). It was a first time experience for me to get to try something different than the regular chicken or mutton dishes. In fact a dish as simple as rice was also something different than what I had eaten so far.
People often ask me what does Photography mean to me. They see my pictures and ask which camera I use. To answer the second one, I use a beginners model Canon 700D with a kit lens. But trust me it doesn’t just end at the camera one uses, its a lot more than that. Its how you see the world or imagine it and then capture it.
I picked up my camera only an year ago and since then my journey has been progressing through self learning. The only thing that keeps me going is my curiosity, because I don’t feel okay with not finding the answer to my question. I spend hours reading, watching, experimenting and practicing, I don’t stop unless I have understood what I wanted.
In Sep’16 after leaving my job, I spent some time thinking about where I wanted to be next. After a few weeks of solitude, I had made up my mind, I was sure that I did not want to get back into the corporate life. I finally chose to leave behind 15 years of my corporate high paying job to take up photography as a profession. I believe photography pushes my creativity and drives me to be innovative every day.
I am not an expert yet, I make mistakes and not everything I click turns out good. But I learn with each passing day. I am self taught and I am still learning. I travel with a hunger to capture more. Usually on weekends I head out on the streets exploring places and meeting other enthusiasts, I share with them what I know and also learn from them. I don’t earn anything out of these morning walks and I do them for the sheer enthusiasm of it. I try to share whatever I have learnt as I have myself experienced how difficult it is to learn. I have come across lot of people who do photography professionally but only very few are willing to share.
When some people hear about my decision, they exclaim “Wow, you are so lucky that you are following your passion”. Unfortunately, luck is not the right word to use, as it hides the struggle one goes through. My luck did not make me leave a high paying job and make me work like I used to, during my early college days. I have kids, wife and a complete family to earn for. Where’s the luck in this? It’s simply a way of life that I have chosen for myself.
Everyone can, everyone has a choice, but most of us tend to choose the obvious. And when one chooses to follow what they believe in, they are not being lucky. Otherwise, by choosing not to take the decision, we are only underestimating our capabilities. We continue to sit back the same way as before thinking what if? Some may term it risky, a dumb decision or maybe a smart move, which only time can tell, but I hardly care how it turns out. There will always be people who will tell you what to do and what not to do. They will always have something to say, but it is up to you to decide how you want to move ahead.
Finally, coming back to the first question, I hope I was able to answer it too!
This was not supposed to be a food post, neither the agenda of visiting the place was food. As one of the leading travel community on Facebook celebrated 3 years, they invited the top contributors of the group for lunch at Between Buns, a place which wasn’t publicly open yet. The afternoon was about people with love for traveling in common, coming together to narrate their experiences.
As we all greeted and then finally got seated, I noticed our seats were marked with a personalized four course menu. The menu consisted of bar bites, choice of salad, choice between burger/sandwich and desserts. It was at this moment, I realized that it’s going to be a special experience. Thus, I decided to head back to the car to get my camera. There was absolutely no obligation set forth by the restaurant to click pictures and review them post the session. Plus, I hardly visit or write about such places where there is an obligatory factor as I feel such experiences are biased.
As I walked along the rail tracks in scorching heat, this old rusty rail caught my eye. Before heading to Sambhar, I had seen pictures of the train station on the internet.
A few minutes ago I was standing in the dry bed of the lake. The station was distantly visible from there. The sight reminded me of all the pictures I had seen while researching the place. And finally it was time to be there and see those pictures come alive.
I stood there between the rail tracks. Towards my right they appeared never ending, going straight into the horizon. And on my left stood this old rusty rail that had caught my eye.
1/100 Sec., f/11, ISO 100, 10mm
If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. – Japanese Proverb
The love for tea is universal. It is so popular that tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water. India not only shares this love with rest of the world, it also shares tea’s global supply with some of these countries. The beautiful Sri Lanka is one of them. The country has a commendable stake in contributing to the world market of tea. Historically known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka relies on its tea industry as one of the main source for its foreign exchange. Sri Lankan tea is popularly referred to as Ceylon Tea.
The year 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Ceylon tea. To celebrate this landmark, the Sri Lankan Tea Board in association with the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association is conducting a series of celebratory events across the world. As a part of this celebration I got invited by ‘The South Asian Association of Gastronomy’ (SAAG) for a tea event organized by the Sri Lankan High Commission. A one of its kind ‘Global Ceylon Tea Party’. Being an ardent tea lover, it was an absolute delight for me to be able to attend it.
Circles have no beginning or end. They represent the eternal whole and in every culture are an archetypical form representing the sun, the earth, the moon, the universe, and other celestial objects between. Circles are used to suggest familiar objects such as wheels, balls, many kinds of fruit. They suggest well-roundedness and completeness.
Circles have free movement. They can roll. Shading and lines can enhance this sense of movement in circles. Circles are graceful and their curves are seen as feminine. They are warm, comforting and give a sense of sensuality and love. Their movement suggests energy and power. Their completeness suggests the infinite, unity, and harmony.
Circles protect, they endure, they restrict. They confine what’s within and keep things out. They offer safety and connection. Circles suggests community, integrity, and perfection.
Source: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/visual-grammar-shapes
Location: Feroz Shah Kotla Fort, New Delhi, India
Take a walk with me on the streets of Delhi. We will search for its soul. We will look beyond the imperfections of its people, see beyond the rude ones, the rule breakers.
We will search for the spirited ones, the ones with stories to share. The ones who have seen the city blossom and have witnessed the heritage rare. Let’s sit amongst the old walls and touch them with compassion. The walls which have stood against the ego of invaders in a calm fashion.
We will talk about the Djinns, the old and the haunted. We will explore the places which remain undaunted. We will take a bite into the food, visiting the streets and the lanes. Smell the fragrance of roadside Chai while photographing the stains.
Take a walk with me on the streets of Delhi and we will eventually find its soul!
Continuing the Vadapav trail while I spend the ending and the early year in Ahmedabad. Explored another street food outlet here called ‘Karnavati Dabeli & Vadapav’. The place has various outlets across the city, I visited the one in Bapunagar (exact location details at the end).
Whenever I have visited Ahmedabad, I have never missed a chance to indulge in the street food of this city. Even the smallest cart on the streets will have good quality stuff to offer. They will never compromise on the quality of ingredients used or the whole hearted preparation. Thus even if its small hawker on the streets, I don’t miss a chance to stop and experience it.
The preparation
The Loony Bard 