Ever since I saw Hue Mei, the cute as a button, ( but not as small) black and white hued panda bear hanging on the trees of the world famous San Diego zoo, seemingly posing for countless shutterbugs like a camera loving celebrity, I was smitten. I was also a little pained that she'd be gone to China in the following year as a part of a 'program' of some sort. Hue Mei, meaning China and USA, was aptly named since she was a product of the countries' efforts to keep the species out of extinction. "Extinction" was the buzz word all around. Imagine - our off springs oohing and aahing over a painting or a sculpture of a Panda Bear or a giraffe like the way we do over Dinosaurs, except we are not responsible for their disappearance? Wouldn't it be a sorry situation? And may be turkeys would disappear too one day and tigers. Or to make it a very effective hyperbole, may be all animals would cease to exist and all that remains is just us - the homo sapience.
Back to the spot light - Panda bears are carnivore and live on Bamboo - a type of grass (though it appears to be on steroids) but they gulp down the occasional small mammal they come across.
They are playful and curious animals.
I for one, am in the smitten spree, and make sure to pick up the occasional stuffed panda, the trinket box panda, the hand puppet panda, panda on the coffee mug or panda on the watch face just as an evidence of my awe.
We as humans, should do our part to co-exist with other species in nature - or all we leave back as a legacy would be hand painted Panda Bear mugs for our kids.

Shown in this pic are my recent acquisition - a pair of hand painted Panda Bear mugs (shown front and back!)

Light seems to enhance the beauty of everything - actually, light allows us to enjoy beauty. It is like one of those stories where a tomato decides to put on her red color again once the sun rises. Over the years of decorating and redecorating my house, I'd realised that proper lighting can make a breathtaking room and also make mediocre anything look mind boggling. Be it a simple tea light burning by itself or a chandelier adorned with tons of crystals, light makes an impact like nothing else. Try it - and you'll agree.

This one is a pic clicked in a city civic center - waiting for my daughter to come out after a Christmas performance. I settled on the floor, to one corner of the humongous hall and all I could see was only this light fixture. No need to say cheese and freeze - when the lights are on, smiles of beauty bloom by themselves:-)

My spring village 2010

When the stray cat bought in a what looked like a little piece of meat, I thought it was her prey.

Not till my little girl yelled with sparkling eyes that "The cat bought her baby in" did I realise that this was indeed her bundle of joy - hardly born - closed eyes, wobbly feet and all that. She held the little kitten in her mouth, and settled her comfortably on the hallow cushion of my over sized and empty Samsonite suitcase. She lumbered away and appeared with the second one, a stark black kitten - this time I was sure it was a rat - till I had a closer look. The Stray mom comes home everyday for her meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner, and my mom feeds her in the stainless steel cup set aside for her. Lukewarm milk, cheese, rice and curd - the menu consists of steady faves. I had to take the lil kittens out to access my suitcase. Aarti and I made a bed for them out of old rags - we created a cozy cushion big enough for the mom and the babies and the mom settled in and felt at home.

I watched in awe as the little ones nuzzled on her tummy to suckle. The mom kicked back and let out a pleasurable purr. Cats or humans - motherhood is indeed Bliss.

Here are the lil kittens that moved the mom in me and my little girl. First on my suitcase and then in my palm.

The magnanimous ferris wheel looked confusing form a closer quarters. I could not make out what it was, though I knew it was a gigantic wheel. The engineering seemed too feeble to hold so many carriages together, the pace seemed too sluggish and the image seemed like a hallucination. It was hard to believe something so surreal could be man made. The wheel revolved, forming hazy swirls on my imagination, or lack there of and I did what I do the best when in doubt - point, and shoot!! :-)

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Eye of Paris - or so I call it!

Hoarding

Pardon the hazy image quality - This was shot form the taxi, through the tinted window while I was on my way to Paris railway station. The city was rather cramped, with magnificient buildings towering upon the streets and the traffic. This colorful hoarding, perhaps advertising an insurance company as I gather, stood strikingly out in the midst of a huge building being renovated or repainted. I wish I had the window rolled down to capture the true colors - neverthless the attempt to sell attracts audience looking at it as a refreshing bout of color in a frayed background.

Eiffel.

Iconic. Magnificent. Wonder. Humongous. Powerful. Breathtaking. Beautiful. Eiffel.