Sail through...

Sail through... Visiting my friend, who lives in Hertfordshire was always a joyous moment. First, he lived away from the main city- that gave me an opportunity to see the country side and he lived in a big apartment- that accommodated all our friends..so, basically, it was party time. On our evening walks to the nearby playground, we saw a group of people training for a sailing event...I knew they would sail through.

~VJ~

Colors of nature

VJ :: Red Currants. Amongst the many things to do on my tick list while I was in London, Fruit Picking featured as the 'Top 10 Things to Do'. Last summer, my friends and I took a train to this garden in Kent to complete the wish list. We picked everything from fruits to vegetables and red currants were just one of them.

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Shillu :: One early morning we were at Lalbagh on the way to Mysore. A lady selling these flowers in a basket caught my eye. For those of you who are not from India & if this is not a common sight, what you see here is different variety of flowers woven into a garland.

Walking

VJ ::

Walking on the Pier,
Location: Isle of White.
As soon as you get off the ship from Portsmouth, you walk this pier to reach the mainland- Isle of White. the pier is wide enough to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and a train line. Walk it to enjoy it...
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Shillu :: Juti's - Leather crafted foot wear for sale at a crafts fair in Bangalore. Though all of them look alike, you need to pay attention to the details to choose which one you like the most. I love all of them!

Views from our visits'

VJ :: Walking up the stairs

Location: Portsmouth, UK.

When you visit Portsmouth, you cannot miss this new iconic building..the Spinnaker Tower..and if you decide to walk up the tower..this is the pattern you will see... hypnotizing isn't it?

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Shillu :: A painted wooden mask on the wall of a service apartment we stayed in recently when we visited Chennai.

Different people, different thoughts

VJ :: A random picture taken at Southend-on-Sea. look at the picture as 'Different people- different views' or 'Different people- different thoughts'....

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Shillu :: People waiting at a railway station to reach their destination.

Fruits and flowers

VJ :: Taken at the London Food Festival, At this counter fruits were carved in various shapes and were displayed beautifully.

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Shillu :: Yeah I know, we are huge foodies and we often post about food. What you see here is Cauliflower & peas curry flavoured with a hint of ginger & garnished with coriander leaves.

Architecture from different parts of the globe

Shillu :: This is the picture of Kachiguda railway station in Hyderabad taken early in the morning. I love the way the morning sun rays are trying to peep out in the background.

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VJ :: Millennium dome- A memorable landmark that was visible from my office on 8 Canada Square. This signature space plays the host to some the most prestigious concerts and exotic restaurants. All in all, I would say that it my must see place in London...

Art work

Shillu :: What you see here are the tools of Bidri artist who is half way thru creating a beautiful handicraft. Birdi ware originates from Bidar in Karnataka state (India). The metal used is a blackened alloy of zinc and copper inlaid with thin sheets of pure silver. You can read more about this unique art here.

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VJ :: Look at this picture. Walking into this palatial building called the 'Chatsworth' castle, I was pleasantly amazed with this image on the wall. Now, look at this picture one more time, you think it is real or a painting? I would not put my money on someone who would call it real?

Interesting people

VJ :: When I was taking pictures for the London Bicycle event, I came across a couple who, very enthusiastically opted to be photographed. They loved the way I asked them to pose and instantly attained a celebrity status with the flash..flash..flash....have you ever felt that way ?

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Shillu :: Artist at work, hand carving a wooden elephant to be sold at a handicrafts fair.

Plate-full

Shillu :: Thai green fish curry with steamed rice, Bharan's favourite lunch, He can eat this everyday without getting bored!

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VJ :: Plates- What a way to preserve the history? These are the plates from the Victorian era stuck onto the wall and are on display...

Drive across the city

VJ :: This is 'Chatsworth' castle. You get here after a very scenic drive through the valleys of the Lake District.Once you get here, it feels like being a part of a Bollywood film shot in Europe.
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Shillu :: Advertisement billboards at a busy cross road in Bangalore. Familiar sight across any city/town in India. Some of these ads are customised to suit the audience in that state, language spoken & culture of that state.

Vibrant?

Shillu :: Feels great to pamper yourself once in a while. Haircut with a couple of friends, a little shopping & a beautiful lunch. What better way to spend a sunday?

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London at a Stretch- Making my way through the umpteen number of people enjoying the sunshine, I was looking onto the bridge that ran parallel to the suspension bridge when I captured this. This is London for you. Its got a little bit of everything- from Double Decker Buses to Ships, from high rise modern marvels to iconic hertiage properties, there is something for everyone.

Hustle Bustle

VJ :: Standing on the suspension bridge by the London Eye, I was looking at the hustle and bustle below. It was a nice and sunny Sunday afternoon and Londoners were making the most of the sunshine by spending time at the cafes.

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Shillu :: Busiest shopping street in Bangalore - Commercial street. The by lanes of this area are forever packed with shoppers looking for bargains irrespective of the day/time. I love shopping here for the variety of stuff & I love bargaining for a price I think the stuff is worth!

Innocent & amused

VJ :: Making the most of the weather one afternoon were these artists by the London Eye, who entertained and enthralled the pedestrians with their little tricks. Look at how the kids in this picture are enjoying what a very recognizable look alike is trying to show them.

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Shillu :: In the apartment where we stay, every evening all the kids go downstairs to the play area to play with their friends under the supervision of their parents. These cute kids caught my attention as they were holding hands and running around the buildings. I asked them if I could take their picture and the cutie to the left was very enthusiastic & was smiling/posing while the other two kids were shy.

Sights in "Red"

Shillu :: Decorated car on an Indian street. This is a pretty common sight here. Vehicles are decorated for special occasions like weddings, festivals etc.,. In this particular case looks like this car is decorated to carry the bride & groom post the wedding.

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VJ :: London telephone booth- must have seen it in a movies and now I present this piece of infrastructure that stands at the end of any street and connects people, who are miles apart.

Splash of colors

VJ :: The words inscribed on this door caught my attention. I stood there for a moment and later on concluded that each and every one of us either relate to or live by more than one of these words. Talk of window of vocabulary.

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Shillu :: Colorful bangles (sort of Hand bracelets) that most Indians use to decorate their hands. Mostly these are matched with the color of the outfit one is wearing. This picture was taken at a bangle stall in one of the handicraft exhibitions I visited last weekend. Most of these bangles you see are made of Lacquer and adorned with beads, glitter & mirrors.

Pic too gloomy? here you go - a Bright one!

VJ :: Making our way out of London was nearly impossible. This was the time when everything around us was freezing and my friends and I, were in a car enjoying good music and company.
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Shillu :: Couple of things about me - I am learning 2 things : Cooking & photography, not good with either yet. I will get there soon, so requesting you to bear with my experiments till then. Here is a picture of peas & peanut rice I made with brown rice as a snack one evening. This is tempered with onions, mustard seeds, cumin & garnished with coriander.

Illumination

VJ :: I am sure you are aware that after 18 long years, London was buried under a thick blanket of snow. some of the next images are from that day when London was painted in the shades of black and white.

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Shillu :: Cup & saucer shaped light holders in a food court close to work. Nice concept - apt for the place. Click on the picture for a closer look.

Powerhouse of politics

VJ :: House of Parliament- Shillu has been bringing pictures that displayed Indian architecture, so I thought I should also present a section of the Houses of Parliament- an example of English Architecture.

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Shillu :: Karnataka Vidhana Soudha - is located in the state capital of Bangalore. This building houses the state legislative assembly of Karnataka. The style of construction incorporates Indo-saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles - described as "Neo-Dravidian" style. This granite building was completed in 1956. What you see in the picture is the main entrance. You an see a four headed lion on top of the dome. This lion is the symbolic representation of India's sovereignty. My favourite part of this picture is the birds in the air & India flag flying proudly on top of the building.

Munch your way thru a freezing day

VJ :: Making our way out of London was nearly impossible. This was the time when everything around us was freezing and my friends and I, were in a car enjoying good music and company. Snow- This is the way I walk to work everyday, but that day was a special day as I walked on snow and practically set my foot on snow for the first time ever.

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Shillu :: VJ - Here are some homemade rice crackers to compliment the weather there. We call these "Chekkalu" in Telugu. Popular snack in south India, made with rice flour, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, onions, Chana dal & deep fried. Got a very delicious batch from my mother-in-law's house. Enjoy the snow while I munch away these yummy snacks ;-)