Tag: Travel

The day after vaccination

The dark days of COVID-19 combined with the cold winter could force anyone to be tugged under the comforter and lie down on the bed even when awake particularly on a Sunday. Well, I have a different story to tell.

Sunday 24th January 2021 – It was the day after I got “moderna-ized”. Wondering about the new English word coined here ! Yes, the previous day I got the first doze of the much anticipated COVID vaccine from Moderna, making me feel that sometimes getting old is helpful (Got the appointment because I was more than 65 years old – physically).

As typical of an old timer, I got up at 0600 hrs on a cold and frigid Sunday morning with temperature smoothly gliding down to 12 deg F (Remember that I am guy who spent all his life at around 32 deg C. !). I had a choice to make – a choice about how I feel.

In my life, whenever I had to make choices, I had the luck of having someone close to me to lean my shoulders on and pause before making the choice. This Sunday is no exception. As my “close someone” unfolded himself to me, I made my choice.

THERE IS HOPE; THERE IS A BRIGHTER SIDE TO LIFE. LOOK AT THAT AND START THE DAY.

I did. Here is what I looked at from my windows.

Autumn Message 2 – My Autumn Resolve – a visual monologue by Sun

In an interview done through my iPhone in mid September 2020, the Sun gave an exclusive preview of what is in His mind.

“I have been rising early all summer. I am tired of “Early to rise and late to bed”. It is now “late to rise and early to bed”. Times are changing and so too are the colors. It is time for me to relax. If you guys want, you can change your time as per my schedule” – says the Sun. Justifiably so – isn’t it?

Just getting out of the bed at 0706 hrs
Getting up after 0700 hrs is the new normal now
By the time I get my looks back, it is around 0815 hrs these days
Even around 0900 hrs, somedays I feel lazy.

Window Views

What is a window ? I am not talking about either Bill Gates or Microsoft. I am talking about the simple, centuries old, “opening” that allows light, air and sound in buildings.

To quote Jeffrey Kipnis (Architectural Critic) “The architectural effects of a window have nothing to do with your description of the everyday building effect. The reason there are so many different windows is because the architectural effect is totally different than letting light, air, and views through windows. Every architect uses windows totally differently to take advantage of light, air, and views, but windows also frame views, change reflections, and do all sorts of things. They work at the existential and philosophical level, not at the functional level of building.”

Let us now look at the frame views and reflections that different windows provided to me in three residences at three different places in the East of the USA. This is in the form of a video.

The photographs are taken by me on my iPhone and the background music is by my 7 year old grandson who is learning the Piano.

Here is the link to the video

Happy viewing

Serenity in the “woods”

There is a saying that “the grass is always greener on the other side”. Very often we do not appreciate the inner beauty that we hold and look for greener pastures elsewhere.

Living in this wonderful community, I was searching for the greener side within the “woods” during my regular morning and evening walks. I got them in plenty and didn’t loose the opportunity and “snapped” them with my iPhone.

Here is “Serenity in the woods”. Music is by my 7 year old grandson

A plant in the wrong place. Seriously….?

Merriam Webster provides the meaning of the term from a biology perspective: a weed as : a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth specially the one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants. In other words weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, “a plant in the wrong place”. During my visit to the Hamptons, I did notice weeds in well manicured gardens. But are they in the wrong place?

Veggie Options in NYC

For those trendy Veggies who are looking for options (other than the traditional exclusive Indian Restaurants) here is the link to the “look up”. The blog is of course from the “pre Covid-19” time and is based on the eating experience of a typical Manhattan based “Veggie Newyorker”.

https://vlookup.us

Feel free to visit the blog and give us your feedback.

Exploring Hamptons- Wainscott

After a week’s stay at the Southampton Village it was time to move to Wainscott in the Hamptons for the Memorial Day week end. Wainscott didn’t disappoint us at all. It matched Southampton “leaf by leaf”, “hedge by hedge” and “green by green”. My iPhone popped out of my pocket and started the job even without I realizing it !

The background music is by Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh in the Raga “Dharmavathi”. Of course, the little birds and the waters of Wainscott added beauty to the BGM score by lending their voices too. Here is a glimpse of that in under 5 minutes in my You Tube channel prabhu53. Pl visit.

Pl subscribe to my YouTube Channel “prabhu53”

Colorful Empire

30 March 2020

Mmmm. Oh no. Across the world we all are locked down thanks to “Corona”. From a tiny village in the remote corner of India to the the Commercial Capital of the World – New York City there is a near total shut down.

Quite often I have been asked by friends and relatives across the world “How are you spending your time in Newyork City when you are locked down at 150 feet above ground in a confined space of 1000 Sq.ft area? You are so used to be with many people in a busy area where vehicles buzz around, vendors move around, densely packed shops and establishments. Hope you haven’t become mad.”

I was wondering as to what should be my response to these queries. Living in an apartment in one of those high rise property behind the Empire State Building, watching that impressive building is the only visual outside entertainment available during the lockdown. The Empire also reflected the eerie emptiness by covering itself most of the days with clouds and didn’t want to dress up colourfully in the evenings.

Hardly any traffic around compared to the “pre lockdown”. What should I do? Time to ponder.

Peeping out of the window on one early morning, I did get the answer. There was a single light coming out of one of the adjacent property. Wow! There is after all light even in darkness if we look for it. I got it.

That prompted me to go back in my memory and bring out the Colorful Empire that I know. I pulled out all the photographs (some of them taken by my son) from my folder, listened to the bits of music that my 7 year old grandson attempted at the keyboard and here is the link to the “Colorful Empire”.