What a hunk!

The view is not bad either!
















In Himachal last year on the way from Chail back to Delhi, we came to this thela-walla facing the glorious view above. He made us some chalu omlettes bread toasted on the tawa and chai. Heaven! Not another shop or building within kilometres of this guy- don't know how he get enough clients to run his business.

Exploring the neighbourhood

Tucked away behind some commercial and industrial buildings is the entrance to a small reserve which we stumbled on to by accident. Saira and I went there with our bikes one day and came to a large water weir sort of thing. It was empty then but is a key part of the floodwater management measures taken by the the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust after the flooding that took place in the area 1990 and 1999. The picture above is of interest as it shows that someone actually designed the small sign you see over the graffiti! Did not have much effect!

They tell us that

this project involved the construction of a 30 metre high flood retarding basin wall and in an environmentally - sensitive bushland reserve within 100 metres of several homes. The project also included several ancillary environmental measures to reduce major flooding to North Rocks, Northmead, parts of North Parramatta and Rosehill overcome degradation of bushland and reduce stormwater pollution of the creek. It is the largest basin in NSW and successfully integrated flood mitigation and environmental objectives.

Another photo below and some more from the trust are here.

Kids sprouting from the rocks!

There's a quality about the poses of the kids that makes it look like a kids clothing catlogue photo- dont' you think? Clockwise from bottom left are: Jordan, Cody, Saira, Indi and Joshua.

Lunch at Terrigal

The food was OK though M loved the risotto. The company was good and the atmosphere relaxed. This was October when the SIL's were in town.

Chest Out Tummy In

That was the instruction for this snap. Both the girls got it but the boy...I guess boys have to be boys!

Taken at the newly rejuvenated Lake Parramatta Reserve nearby.

Friday dose... just in time

Guys,

It's holiday (aka silly) season here. And that means: traffic jams on the highways out of Sydney, hot days and double demerit points. I've found ways around two of them and I'll share these with you:

Oh to be able to fly over the traffic, unfettered by congestion and traffic lights! One needs to find a telephone booth and change into....Desi Superman! Not only can he do all that the guy from Smallville could do, he can also do a bum-chik-bum-chika in mid air! Must have skills to retain your sanity in the silly season. So, enjoy:



And for the temperature problem? No worries! Good ol' Australian beer. Here's where you go to get a good beer, a big beer...um.. a big beer AD:



For the believers among you- Happy Christmas! For everyone else- keep up the chatter and have a healthy and fulfilling 2007!

Friday Frivolity

Many of us do not know of the fascination Germany had with India in the early half of the the 20th century- apart from some stuff about Max Mueller.

Here's a clip from a film 'Das Indische Grabmal' by Fritz Lang (of Metropolis fame) with a snake dance by the charming Debra Paget.

And here's something on an attitude William probably comes across often:

In tribute to Carlos, who I am missing as he travels and who would respond to these messages:

Shambho!

Bhuira

I've been a fan of the Bhuira range of marmalades for some years now. Now available around India via stores such as FabIndia, it used to be available only in the small Giant (heh, heh) supermarket at Noida where I stay when in India.

Their marmalades are out of this world, especially the bitter orange marmalade and the 3-fruit marmalade that has the local kinoo fruit too. Very old-fashioned taste and old-fashioned presentation too: I was intrigued by the the thick plug of wax at the top of the jam in each bottle that is used to seal it off.


I find out now that they are made by a small enterprise started by Linnet Mushram. She is British born, married to a Kashmiri and has settled in Bhuira village in Himachal. Starting off by making these jams for herself because that's the way her mum did it, she was coaxed into making the operation more commercial. Now it seems, the business runs mainly as a way to help the women of the area be economically independent. Perhaps the next time I go to Himachal I might drop in on her and express my appreciation.

If any of you are coming to Sydney from India, be sure to pick up a couple of bottles of Bhuira Bitter Orange Marmalade for me.

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Goodness

As an amused observer of the buzzword filled world of marketing types, I love the word 'goodness' that is used to describe most anything, especially breakfast cereals and things for kids. The only thing that's better than goodness is 'wholesome goodness'.

Well, I have finally found out that the meaning of 'goodness'- it is the smell and taste of my favourite muesli- Carman's Muesli.



It is by far the best muesli I have ever had and I have been looking for over 20 years.

They also have muesli bars that are moist and chewy and in the same flavours as the muesli. I like the red muesli bars but the green (untoasted) muesli as my breakfast cereal (one of the ingredients).

One quirky bit of trivia- when I first started buying them, they came with a big plastic clip inside the box to seal the plastic bag inside, once opened. Then they changed to giving a much smaller but still usable clip. But now, with the grocery chains no doubt squeezing their margins, they have done away with the clip altogether. No matter, it still tastes fantastic.

Just browsing through their website to update myself as I write this, I see that they have a very loyal following with people ordering this from distant USA among other places. It also seems to have become something of an export success story.

Their website is here and if you want to buy it, you can get it at Coles and Woolworths or from here.

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Motorbikes, more on

I always wanted a motorbike when I was growing up in India- just like most urban teenagers. It seemed to be the ultimate in coolth and of course, essential if you wanted to attract the chicks....

Never did get one in college but I did end up buying one in Bombay where I was working for a year or so before moving off to Bangkok. What I really wanted then was a Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc but I think a) it was more expensive and b) there was a longish wait to get one.

So I bought a Yezdi (though I'd have preferred a Jawa). It was great! It reduced my commute from Andheri to Chembur by 30 minutes each way and, I believe, did get me the chick (singular, my first real girlfriend). We used to scoot around town having a drink here and a meal there and generally having fun.


When I moved off to Bangkok in 1981, I presented the bike to my brother. He still has it with him in the tea gardens of Assam where he is based and it still has the MMI 801 number plate (how, I do not know).

As I start on the path to get a motorcycle riders licence here in Sydney, I was surprised to find that Royal Enfield bikes are being imported here and sold here to enthusiasts. There even is a Royal Enfield Club for owners and enthusiasts.

I'm signing up. Maybe I will finally get the Bullet that I lusted for all those years ago!

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Back to the future!

After years of dilly-dallying, I've finally signed up to start the process to get a motorcycle rider licence here. It's a long process involving a compulsory initial 7 hour training course that gets you a learner licence. As a learner you can only ride specific approved bikes, or as they say,

moderately powered motorcycles with an engine capacity up to and
including 660ml and which do not exceed a power to weight ratio of 150
kilowatts per tonne

There seems to be a profusion of tests, including the Driver Qualification Test, the Hazard Perception Test and the Motorcycle Operator Skill Test (MOST).

It seems that you need to hold the 'P' licence for at least 12 months before you can get a full licence. And in this period you are not allowed to ride after drinking (zero blood alcohol) and cannot carry a pillion passenger!

On the bright side, there seem to be some shortcuts for mature-age (over 30!) people who have held a car driving licence for at least 5 years.

My first training course is booked in for January 8 9....

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Friday Unwinder

Since it's close to Christmas you might appreciate this clip from animated pop star Boymongoose- who is still complaining about his totally insufficient dowry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owK5tHjL0aE

He's an Aussie, by the way.

And those of you eagerly climbing corporate ladders- here is something you already know:

'till next week...

Tagra Raho!

The Assam Regiment...

My father was in the Assam Regiment and I stumbled across a reference to them as part of the UN forces in Lebanon:

The Assam Regiment's 15th Battalion is India's contribution to the United Nations' peacekeeping force along the Israeli border -- Israel's listening posts were stitched across the brown snows of Golan high above us -- and its soldiers, from the seven northeastern states of India, have turned out to be among the most popular of U.N. units for two simple reasons.They help with much of the veterinary work among the poor farmers and -- shades, here, I suppose, of the new high-tech city of Hyderabad -- they repair all the computers in local schools.

More in this article by Robert Fisk here. That's a great compliment from a war correspondent who's seen many, many armies from up close. So, to all the rhinos doing a great job in India and overseas: Tagra Raho!

(It so happens that I am currently reading Fisk’s disturbing book, The Great War for Civilisation about which more a bit later.)

Yoga vs. Kung Fu

When people think about India v/s China, they rarely look at it this way!

Well the Kung Fu guys won but only by cheating. Wonder why they are speaking French though...

Related posts: More on the Wagah ritual, The face off at Wagah

Pink Floyd lives (almost)

I went to see a show yesterday called The Pink Floyd Experience. This is a New Zealand mob of 9 musicians and singers who play the music of Pink Floyd in a three hour concert. They actually try to do more than play the music, they also try to recreate some of the imagery and theatrics associated with PF in their concerts and films esp. ‘The Wall’.

I love the music of PF. But why did I not enjoy anything else about the concert? to me it seemed that here was something going on under false pretences. They were playing the music and had appropriated the imagery of the great PF but it was obvious that they were NOT PF. The music was recreated almost note-perfect but again the discordant note was that they were not PF! If they had been playing covers of PF music- their versions- then I may not have felt this dissonance; this would have been another band interpreting the music and playing it in their distinctive way. As it happened it sort of felt like someone peddling me plastic imitations of my favourite flowers.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the music. These were very competent musicians, technically. They also tried to stretch the show by incorporating the ‘experience’ being skits of people on the verge of insanity and also the whole fascist imagery from ‘The Wall’, marching hammers and all. But they never once mentioned or paid homage to the band they were making their living off! Not even to mention Syd Barrett who died recently. It was almost as if they were embarrassed to draw attention to the fact that they were not the real thing.

I guess these are weaknesses for all ‘replica’ shows. There is a replica band for Abba, who were wildly popular in Australia and of course there are lots of Elvis impersonators, so this may be a trend. For me though, it is clear that I will be watching videos of the real band (on a large screen and the music turned up) rather than going to another of these shows.

Related post: An air guitarist’s dream!

The Good Ol’ days..

Wouldn't this be a great way to celebrate the 'good ol' days':

Auwwa, auwwa to you, Bang Bang!

Horn OK Please

Here’s a lovely clay animation of a Bombay taxi driver’s day. He’s working hard to save money to buy an air-condtioned taxi...

Description: "HORN OK PLEASE" is a film directly inspired by director Joel Simon´s journey in the heat and frenzy of Mumbai, India. It follows a monotonous day in the life of an Indian taxi driver whose goal is to earn enough rupees to buy the air-conditioned taxi of his dreams... The film was made over a 10 month period by Irish and Indian animators and Joel simon, a Belgian director. It´s a combination of claymation and hand drawn backgrounds. Here´s some of the awards it has won: 24 FPS 2006; New Delhi, India – Best Animation Studio Film Award FICCI BAF Awards 2006; Mumbai, India – Best Animated Short ECU Festival 2006; Paris, France – Best Editing + Best Animated Short Belfast Film Festival 2006; Northern Ireland – Special Commendation Cine Jeunes de L’Aisne 2006; France – Best Animated Film Kerry Film Festival 2006 – Best Animation

Must see!

An air guitarist’s dream!

All those skills learned playing air guitar can be put to use now! A scientist in the Australian government organisation CSIRO has demonstrated a shirt that has sensors that respond to the motion of the arms, to play music!

See the videos here and here.

CSIRO Research engineer Dr Richard Helmer is interviewed about the wearable guitar which works by recognising and interpreting arm movements and relaying this wirelessly to a computer for audio generation. It then shows him demonstrating it.

Now if they could only get him to look as if he was enjoying himself!

More on the Wagah ritual

Apparently the BSF has decided it will do away with it!

"What was performed earlier was not the correct drill but a kind of drama enacted on both sides of the border," said IG, frontier, Arvind Ranjan, while justifying the toned-down drill.

He said various body movements, including vigorous shaking of head while gazing in the eyes of jawans of the opposite country were unwarranted movements which had no place in the routine drill.

Ranjan said since both countries were trying to a forge friendly relationship, they decided to do away with these 'provocative' gestures.

A video of the ritual from Michael Palin is at YouTube

Related post: The face off at Wagah

Blooming Sydney

It's late winter here, of course, and the flowers have started blooming. The most spectacular part of this in August is the variety of Magnolias that are in full bloom. Most of them are the pink ones but there are some spectacular red ones in the neighbourhood too. Most of them have gone past the stage where the whole tree is just branches and flowers with no leaves visible but there are still a few late-blooing plants that are creaking under the abundance of flowers...

The face off at Wagah

One of the first books I listened to when I first discovered Audible.com was Michael Palin's Himalaya.

Have a listen to my favourite bit- so evocative for someone from a fauji family background. Funny too!

Astad Deboo

I'd read about Astad Deboo when I was growing up as a teenager in the 80's. He was probably the only Indian doing contemporary western dance at that time, though he started out asa Kathak dancer. He has been called the father of modern Indian dance.

He came to Australia, we met by chance at a friend's house and then he came over for dinner. He is very engaging and well informed and still lives the artist's life- not knowing where his future funding is going to come from. I couldn't go for his concert but it was good to see how he is still experimenting- this time with Albert David of the famous Bangarra Dance Theatre.

He also trains a troupe of deaf actors in India; they were to perform at the opening ceremony of the Games for the Disabled being held after the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Update: 10 August 2006
I just read some material that says he performed with Pink Floyd in London. I don't have a date but would have really liked to ask him if this was before Syd Barrett left the band. With Syd's recent death, I have been reading about his strange life and would have liked to have first hand inpressions of the Madcap.

And check out the energy his dance represents in this photo below:

Dead bodies in the Yamuna and other schoolgirl impressions

I've just discovered a great source for audio programmes to listen to while I am at the gym- ABC Radio! A recent one was this quite interesting report on the problems of water in India.

I especially liked the interview with the Delhi schoolgirl about her views- must listen!

The full audio podcast I can no longer find at the ABC site, but a transcript is here.

The Two Geminis

 
With Paul and my birthday being on June 2, we had an informal dinner together followed by carrot cake and homemade chocolate moussee, both prominent in the picture. 

Choral Concert at Opera House

(Back after a lengthy break!)

We were all very excited when Saira's school was taking part in the choir of ArtsNorth Festival- a musical evening by students of schools in the Northern Sydney District, held at the Sydney Opera House.

They got special T-shirts, worn with much pride.

700 kids made up the choir and they sang beautifully! There was dance and other music as well whcih made for a nice evening out for us.

We took some photos outside, after the event.