Behind the curtains

I recently watched 'Hidden figures' movie (well, first day first show it was for movie buff me). I am in complete awe and inspiration. The subtle yet touching moments of the movie took my heart away. Nothing too dramatic but perfect. The actors are tremendous. But out of all the things that I loved about the movie the most compelling was the the implication behind the title itself. Hidden figures. 

First man to land on moon. Check we know. Neil Armstrong.

First American to orbit the Earth. Ohh we are too smart. John Glenn it is!

But these weren't the only 'firsts'. Behind them was a whole team of unbelievably talented and super humans. The ones we do not see photographs of in newspapers, or on social media. The ones we do not recall names of easily. The ones who remain secretly behind the curtains and control the stage. 

These are the heroes. We need more appreciation for them. We need to know their life story. 

On that note here, ISRO just launched 104 satellites in a single mission! No nation has achieved that yet. We see only a handful of scientists in the mission control room during the launch. Wonder how many 'hidden figures' behind this accomplishment-- a lot!

Cheers to such inspirational heroes and women. You give us a reason to believe in dreaming. And making them come true. 

A fair chance

"Sometimes you win,

sometimes you learn"

Life isn't supposed to give you what you want always.

Instead you have to make the most of what is handed to you.

However the situation may be, grey clouds or glitering sunshine.

Yet, here we are stubbornly making our own way, creating our beliefs

and trying to change the future, which is yet to come!

Here we are, fighting. Not with the world, rather with inner self.

Are we not too harsh with ourselves?

Don't we punish ourselves for not able to live the life we dreamed of?

We often try to find something to cling on and be happy

forgetting that 'something' cannot be found

we have to 'create' it!

Good days will come

Things will get better

and best will be rewarded

if there is enough passion.

But what if this zeal itself is a flickering candle?

Life is a game of light and shadows.

While light guides you, the shadow never leaves you. 

It is about being to adapt to darkness 

so you value light even more.

There are no guidelines

just one rule: Keep moving on

And one day will be yours. 

Life will give you one fair chance...

By the window side

The curry leaf plant seen from my window side has borne little red fruits this time. The result is that many birds frequently visit it all through the day. I just have to sit and watch them enjoy their tiny meals. 

Few of the birds are:
Asian Koel male
Asian Koel female
Oriental magpie robin
Bush chat
Ashy prinia
Oriental white eye 
Red vented bulbul
Purple sunbird
Sunbird female
Common Tailor bird
Fantail
Brahminy starling
Pale billed flower pecker
Coppersmith Barbet
Purple rumped sunbird
Indian black lored tit



Though all these are common to sight, it has been a treat to watch the behavior and eating habits of the birds. While the Koel will gulp the entire fruit, the oriental white is very selective in choosing the fruit, and just prefers the juice. :) It will also twist and bend itself to get a good one! Barbets come in pair, eat one berry and carry another one! 

Few photos of past few days of 'window birding'

Ashy prinia

Pied Bush chat

Sunbird female

Asian Koel female

Tailor bird

Fantail

Oriental white eye

Bushchat juvenille

Asian Koel male

Pale billed flower pecker

Greater Coucal

Tailor bird

Red whiskered bulbul

Scaly breasted Munia

Common Myna

Pale billed flower pecker

Indian black lored Tit

Indian black lored tit

Coppersmith Barbet

Strictly Rain lovers!

Finally the monsoon is here. 

Just when you think you cannot go outdoors to photograph any thing, it occurs on a rainy Sunday morning, why not click the rain itself! Comfortably by the window side. 

Until now, I clicked whatever the rain touched and made the Earth green and fresh, so full of life! 

But that day, when I turned my attention to the little rain drops, drizzle, shower and downpour, I realized how beautiful the rain actually is!

The series of pictures are just a few from the rain obsessed me, experimenting with shutter speed and aperture! Hope you enjoy :) The frame is kept same in each, but the effect varies (as per the setting). I am sure they will get better with practice. But couldn't wait to share the first ones!

(The bokeh just added to the beauty)

P.S. My favourite rain quote, "The sound of rain needs no translation" - Alan Watts 

:)

happy monsoon <3

Practical dreams ? (!)

Realistic or idealistic?

Pragmatic or quixotic?

Optimistic with a pinch of doubt or a pessimistic with a ray of hope!

To accept the change or to be the change?

To try and fail or fail and never try again!

To believe and follow or to live and experience?

A night that has a dawn at its end, or a day that ends in dark...

Happy with what you have or strive for what you haven't!

Can dreams be practical?!

What do you have to say?

P.S.: Some one told me that my posts are extreme in feeling, from too optimistic, sweet and rosy to harsh, sad, and dark. Why such ends with not a moderate between? But isn't life like that too?

Yes or No; no 'maybe' and 'ifs and but', no conditions to apply, no excuses to make.

Happy mid week :) Calvin's always right! 

Sound of silence

Words don't always convey, even silence speaks volumes!

I'm sure you would agree to this. Don't you hear the rattle of a hundred ideas, complaints, problems and solutions when you be quiet just for a while? Yes, it is a playground where you wander off. 

No words to express only silence to convey.

Some of us come in terms with it and find a sense of belongingness there, while for some of us it is too daunting.. Then we turn to people, places, music, social networking to curb the silence. Some associate silence with loneliness, while others to creativity.

But it is loud. And there is no escape.

For me, silence has been a teacher. It has taught me that people will come and go, but you are your best company. It taught me to love myself.It made me more observant of the nature and appreciate life's little things. 

As you sit silently at the window waiting for it to rain, you look around, and see nature is doing its work perfectly, yet silently. The little green grass grows, the flowers bloom,the breeze is always around you. The moon silently changes its phases with each new day. The rainbow forms without any hustle with just the right amount of rain and sunshine. 

If we just know how to face this silence!

P.S: We use words to communicate, ever tried tuning into someone's silent mind and feel it? :)

Simply complicated!

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" ~Leonardo da Vinci

In tangled life and tied up emotions, rarely does a breeze of simplicity enter your mind and free it of the web.For moments you realize, this is how it should always be.

Simple. As it is. No dilution, no adulteration, no adding whites to make a tint or blacks to improve the shade. Don't we all love people who be just as they are? Aren't we all in the process to continuously make our life simple? Then why does our little mind have to be a twisted mesh of threads from past and anxious bits of future? This all does sound simply complicated!

Have a child's eye to view the world and a day at a time, to make most of the details in life appear straightforward. 

Simple is beautiful. Simple is without any extra baggage and burden. 

"Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things"~Isaac Newton

:)