Tag Archives: Photography

Monsoon (Baarish)

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Poinsettias in rain by Simi K. Rao

Drenched in refreshing moisture, earth bursts into colorful melody-

                                                                                                Simi K. Rao

Monsoon in India is a special time. The overcast black skies, the drumroll of thunder, invoke the thrill of anticipation in the thirsty heart. This is then fulfilled by the downpour. And what a downpour it is!

Extending from June- September, the monsoon brings welcome relief from the stifling heat of the summer. The happiness is visible not just on the faces of the citizens but also on the parched earth– the fragrance of the soil, the blossoming of the vegetation, the songs of the cuckoo, the dance of the peacock.

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Weekend Getaway: The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon. Who hasn’t heard of it? Everyone has. But you need to go there for yourself to realize it’s awesomeness! Grand doesn’t come close to describing it. I’ve been there a few times–still I catch my breath each time I lay eyes on it. Over two billion years of earth layers were cut by the mighty Colorado river and it’s tributaries.

My last trip there a few years ago was my most memorable one. It was part of a school trip– with my daughter and some of her classmates. We stayed in the Grand Canyon village at the South rim for two days and even hiked down the South Kaibab trail— only part of the way (it’s extremely steep and strenous). We also saw a mule train, the once almost extinct California Condor which the largest flying bird in North America with a wingspan reaching 10 ft—brought back by a dedicated captive breeding program.

As I have mentioned before I am inspired by my travels and the places I visit. I try to bring them into my writings whenever I can. You will find some of my experiences of the Grand Canyon in my books– Inconvenient Relations and its sequel- Now and Forever. You can check them out here.

Words and Images: Ancient Giants

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It wasn’t just a grove. It was a magical, mystical jungle of living, breathing giants that left Shaan awe struck. Neither of them spoke as they ambled slowly on the well-worn dirt paths and listened to the trees, some almost two thousand years old, as they related tales of times gone by. Of emperors, and kings and queens, and of battles fought for love and for greed.

A sudden transformation came over Ruhi when they came upon a fallen tree. She leaned against the dead trunk; her frame dwarfed by its girth, then closed her eyes and whispered in a voice rife with melancholy. “Who am I but a speck of dust this poor soul can’t even see?”

Shaan couldn’t keep his emotions in check. He hauled her into his arms and they wept together as they grieved for their mutual loss.

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Musafir #Arches National Park

 

Delicate Arch

God is a sculptor and Arches National Park is his workshop.

Head to Moab,Utah to see one of the most unusual landscapes in the world; a unique collection of more than 2000 natural sandstone arches. Prepare to be stunned!

Landscape arch

Watch your step! (Way to Delicate arch)

Window rock

The Sun adds its own show

Petroglyphs carved by native tribes

Loneliness

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Introducing Loneliness

Your constant companion

You lie if you say you don’t know me

I’m the one who sits beside you in the empty passenger seat

I’m the stranger who smiles at you at the mall

I’m the blanket you wrap yourself in every night

I’m the clock you hear ticking in the hall

I’m the breeze that ruffles your hair on a cold winter morning

I’m the scream that reverberates through your lonely frame

I’m the earth who cradles you in the grave

Mundane Life–A Poem and an Interview!

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Here’s some mundane inspiration–

We run around everyday busying ourselves with mundane routine

Getting the kids off to school, soccer practice, summer camp

Going to work, coming home and working again

Getting dinner ready, walking the dog

Worrying about the future, finances

We continue doing the same old mundane things

We fear to stop and think

Beyond the mundaneness

We continue like busy little ants until

Something steps on us with a giant shoe

And life is over as we know it

If we survive we become philosophers

To give others mundane wisdom

That no one cares to hear

Since they are so busy living their mundane lives

–0–

Hi friends!

Occasionally I come across someone who is not so mundane and is able to delve beneath the surface. Sid Sharma is one such person. He interviewed me recently for Asian American News and I think he got me right!

Find out for yourselves here!