1 year ago
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Neeta Shankar Photography Pvt Ltd is a Wedding and Lifestyle Photography Company led by Neeta Shankar my wife and me. Neeta has been named among the top wedding photographers in India and with every wedding she shoots, she endeavors to do better than the last. Neeta Shankar and her team of photographers and cinematographers specialize in Wedding Photography & Films where they strive to create timeless memories for you which are candid, emotional, offbeat, and fun. They are based in Bangalore but have shot weddings in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata, Jaipur, Udaipur, and everywhere else because they love to travel!
If you are searching for that Best Wedding Photographer to shoot your beautiful once-in-a-lifetime event; someone who will put in sincere effort to capture the absolute best, Neeta and team is the right fit for you.
Some recognitions that have come along our way over the years
RECOGNITION
“There is a famous Kannada quote which roughly translates to – what the sun can't see, a poet can. To me, Neeta epitomizes that poet, with a camera in hand instead of a pen. I have been perpetually stunned by her use of light, composition, and unflinching focus until the closest-to-ideal shot is achieved. I don’t think she has anything else on her mind when she is on the job. It’s both a lovable and an inspirational quality about her.”
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
It was the summer of 1998 and I was in Chandrapur (Maharashtra) with my parents and my sister. My dad used to work there and we had gone to visit him during our term holidays. He had rented out a 2 bed room apartment and had a portable (14 inch) black and white TV in his room.
It was the season of Coca-Cola Sharjah Cup and Indian team had somehow managed to get themselves to a position of "Do-or-Die" as they always do. Australia batted first and amassed a lot of runs (284/7 - Exact score courtesy cricinfo). India had to get to 237 in 46 overs to qualify for the finals or had to score 276 in 46 overs for an outright win.
276 back then was a score that very few teams could chase even in 50 overs and hence my mom ordered everyone to bed. Sand storm didn't help the cause and it only delayed the start of second innings which meant I had to get to bed without watching the start of India's innings.
30-45 min later my dad slowly sneaked into the room where my sister and I were sleeping and woke me up. He asked me to pull a chair and sit outside his room with the door slightly ajar not disturbing my sister and mom who were sound asleep by then. He had probably realized something magical is going to happen that night and he didn't want his son to miss it. And what MAGIC we witnessed!! It was unreal! It was out of this world!
One of the finest innings of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar! Every shot of his gave me goose bumps and every six of his wanted me to shout, clap and cheer. My father and I have watched many great ODI matches after this (including the finals that followed this match) but this one was truly special and it will remain etched in my memories forever courtesy my dad and one little master called Sachin. What better father-son bonding than watching Sachin tear-apart a terrific Australian bowling attack that comprised of Warne, Moody, Fleming and Kasprowicz!
When he was eventually given out at 143 (He had not nicked the ball), he had made sure he had taken India to safer shores. India had qualified for the final. India had “lived to die another day”. India would have won that match had he played till the 46th over but I guess the joy he had given by taking India to finals was enough for me to sleep with a smile on my face for another week or so. A win in the finals was only icing on the cake.
Here's a mini highlights of what I witnessed that day
Will miss you Sachin!! Saaachin Sachin *clap* *clap* *clap*!!! Saaaachin Sachin *clap* *clap* *clap*!!!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Second Innings
Posted by Varun | Sunday, May 15, 2011 | Category:
Bangalore,
Elections,
Lagos,
Life is what you make it,
Modern Family,
Movies,
Nigeria,
Telivision
|
14
comments
The last time I landed in Lagos,Nigeria, it was about 8.00 pm and all I could see was the dimly lit runway. This time around though, I took Qatar Airways instead of Emirates and the flight landed in the afternoon.
Nigeria for the first time looked beautiful and I am not kidding or being sarcastic when I say it. There is probably more greenery in Lagos than we have in Bangalore and we shout our lungs out that we live in the 'Garden city'. There is nothing more pleasing to eyes and heart than wide spread greenery and a dash of rainfall. (I've been cooking here and I had to use the words 'Dash of Rainfall' just like 'A dash of Lemon') Yes!! It was also raining when I landed and the whole scene looked so amazing! Wet runway, lush pastures on either sides of the runway, fully loaded Airbus 330 carrying people belonging to almost all nationalities! So what if the the landing gear slipped and it required one brave guy and a pretty airhostess to stop the plane!? Scene straight out of a hollywood movie isn't it!? Nothing of that sort happened though and we landed safe and sound!
Elections in Nigeria completed about a month ago and the guy who has won and will continue to be president of the country is Mr. Goodluck Jonathan. I am not wishing him luck. It is his name! People believe a lot in him and are looking forward to the changes he has promised to bring. They are hopeful and the whole country is looking to move into greener pastures! For a country that was under the military for so long (Around 33 years), a whole term under a democratic party and a good president to add to it will be a welcome change.
Greener pastures I guess is something we all look forward to all the time in life. It is probably THE driving force of human kind. We always aspire for a better situation for ourselves even though the one we already have might be the best. People who manage to figure this out as early as possible I guess are the happiest. Having absolutely nothing to do gives a lot of time to think about a lot of things in life and this is one such passing thought.
Looooong flight journey gave me an opportunity to read a lovely novel called 'Life is what you make it'. It is written by one of my dear blogger friends Preeti Shenoy. I loved the book and am extremely proud of her. The book is currently 3rd best seller on flipkart and it has made it to the long list of Vodafone-Crossword Book awards announced on IBN Live. Can you beat that!? I guess she can! I want to see the book become a National Best seller! Without disclosing much about the book I would like to tell you readers that it is a coming of age story of a girl called Ankita. I do not read much books and realised that I will not be the right person to to review it! Won't do justice! I'll probably copy and paste the email I sent to Preeti.
It has been raining on and off here and the weather has been quite pleasant. Pity we cannot keep our windows open for the breeze as that will be an invitation to our very own Female Anopheles and we are simply in no mood to feed her.
First week in office hasn't been noteworthy. But some events outside office have defintely been blog worthy! There is a Supermarket 'Shoprite' in Lagos that sells fresh bread in an inhouse Bakery. I had always seen people standing in a queue to buy it but had never bothered to get one for myself. This time around my friend and I decided to get our hands on that famous fresh bread no matter what. Believe it or not, we stood in the queue for about hour and a half just to buy that bread. Steve jobs will be put to shame if he sees this queue. People queue up for his product only on the first day of its launch. Now comes the curious part. How was the bread? I want to write that it was awesome, mindlblowing, yummy! But Nah!! It was like any other bread. Simply couldn't find anything special with it. The wildest guess we could come up with is it is probably the best fresh bread available for such a low price. Pictures below will tell you the story :)
Weekend has been a very lazy one! Completed watching the first season of 'Modern Family'. Sitcom has lovable characters and is quite funny. Will have to wait till I get back to India to download and watch the second season. Also got to watch the movie 'Thor'. 3.5 stars out of 5. I like Natalie Portman in any role :)
'Stanley Ka Dabba' (Movie) released over the weekend in India and I am feeling jealous of anyone who's watched it. I wanted to watch that movie and want the movie to do well. Good to see that the movie has been getting awesome reviews everywhere. Just hope it is still running in theatres when I get back. If not, torrents zindabad :)
What else is happening down here in Africa!? I have been travelling around the world. Am I crazy!? No! I am not! I am travelling virtually of course! Making plans, reading about new places, looking at the pictures people have clicked. Feels great to read about new places. Ever tried it? Go on.. Give it a shot! You'll love it... It is good to allow your mind to wander off... It comes back with lots of new ideas and thoughts! Where is my mind now!!? Your guess is as good as mine!
Nigeria for the first time looked beautiful and I am not kidding or being sarcastic when I say it. There is probably more greenery in Lagos than we have in Bangalore and we shout our lungs out that we live in the 'Garden city'. There is nothing more pleasing to eyes and heart than wide spread greenery and a dash of rainfall. (I've been cooking here and I had to use the words 'Dash of Rainfall' just like 'A dash of Lemon') Yes!! It was also raining when I landed and the whole scene looked so amazing! Wet runway, lush pastures on either sides of the runway, fully loaded Airbus 330 carrying people belonging to almost all nationalities! So what if the the landing gear slipped and it required one brave guy and a pretty airhostess to stop the plane!? Scene straight out of a hollywood movie isn't it!? Nothing of that sort happened though and we landed safe and sound!
Elections in Nigeria completed about a month ago and the guy who has won and will continue to be president of the country is Mr. Goodluck Jonathan. I am not wishing him luck. It is his name! People believe a lot in him and are looking forward to the changes he has promised to bring. They are hopeful and the whole country is looking to move into greener pastures! For a country that was under the military for so long (Around 33 years), a whole term under a democratic party and a good president to add to it will be a welcome change.
Greener pastures I guess is something we all look forward to all the time in life. It is probably THE driving force of human kind. We always aspire for a better situation for ourselves even though the one we already have might be the best. People who manage to figure this out as early as possible I guess are the happiest. Having absolutely nothing to do gives a lot of time to think about a lot of things in life and this is one such passing thought.
Looooong flight journey gave me an opportunity to read a lovely novel called 'Life is what you make it'. It is written by one of my dear blogger friends Preeti Shenoy. I loved the book and am extremely proud of her. The book is currently 3rd best seller on flipkart and it has made it to the long list of Vodafone-Crossword Book awards announced on IBN Live. Can you beat that!? I guess she can! I want to see the book become a National Best seller! Without disclosing much about the book I would like to tell you readers that it is a coming of age story of a girl called Ankita. I do not read much books and realised that I will not be the right person to to review it! Won't do justice! I'll probably copy and paste the email I sent to Preeti.
3rd on Flipkart. Awesome! You are making faster progress than Novak Djokovic :) (Shouldn't really compare tennis to books but that is the headline I read first thing in the morning today! 'Summit in Sight'. BTW I have to tell you the book 'Life is what you make it' is awesome! Got a chance to read it in the flight... Finished it in one reading. Had to delay lunch but it was totally worth it... I cried and laughed with Ankita... Loved her, hated her, Felt bad for hating her. And finally felt great to see her back on track, on her feet and doing what she always loved to do... It put me through an emotional turbulence inside the flight. I can understand what it must have put you through to get into the skin of such a character.... Few love letters in the book are amazing... I can simply copy paste them straight out of the book and any girl would go aww :DAnd as expected, I got a lovely reply (Preeti always replies) but that is a different story.
It has been raining on and off here and the weather has been quite pleasant. Pity we cannot keep our windows open for the breeze as that will be an invitation to our very own Female Anopheles and we are simply in no mood to feed her.
First week in office hasn't been noteworthy. But some events outside office have defintely been blog worthy! There is a Supermarket 'Shoprite' in Lagos that sells fresh bread in an inhouse Bakery. I had always seen people standing in a queue to buy it but had never bothered to get one for myself. This time around my friend and I decided to get our hands on that famous fresh bread no matter what. Believe it or not, we stood in the queue for about hour and a half just to buy that bread. Steve jobs will be put to shame if he sees this queue. People queue up for his product only on the first day of its launch. Now comes the curious part. How was the bread? I want to write that it was awesome, mindlblowing, yummy! But Nah!! It was like any other bread. Simply couldn't find anything special with it. The wildest guess we could come up with is it is probably the best fresh bread available for such a low price. Pictures below will tell you the story :)
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| Standing in the Queue |
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| World Famous Bakery :) |
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| Jackpot!!!! |
'Stanley Ka Dabba' (Movie) released over the weekend in India and I am feeling jealous of anyone who's watched it. I wanted to watch that movie and want the movie to do well. Good to see that the movie has been getting awesome reviews everywhere. Just hope it is still running in theatres when I get back. If not, torrents zindabad :)
What else is happening down here in Africa!? I have been travelling around the world. Am I crazy!? No! I am not! I am travelling virtually of course! Making plans, reading about new places, looking at the pictures people have clicked. Feels great to read about new places. Ever tried it? Go on.. Give it a shot! You'll love it... It is good to allow your mind to wander off... It comes back with lots of new ideas and thoughts! Where is my mind now!!? Your guess is as good as mine!
Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
As the day nears for my roommate to fly back to India, I have started feeling restless instead of feeling happy for him for getting out of the 7 star Jail. Am I feeling jealous that he is getting to India before me or will I miss him here!? I guess it’s both.
Roomies (I don't really like this word but since it sounds cool, I have used it) are one's backbone and family away from home. If you have ever had a bad experience with one, I feel sorry for you but then I am not talking about it here. This blog is like its author. Always positive :)
They are there to share happiness, they are there to share your dreams, they are there to hear your stories, they have seen you crib, they have seen you laugh, they have seen your anger, they have been guinea pigs for your cooking experiments, they are someone who have seen you in all moods and are there for you all the time.
They come in all shapes and sizes, all colour, caste and creed but nothing matters. At the end of the day, they are family! I am someone who did not want to get out of home for anything till I finished my college. Had I got a job in Mandya or Bangalore as soon as I finished my Engineering, I would have missed something big in life. I was always confident that I would survive anywhere in the world but got a chance to experience it only when I got out of home in 2005 and what an experience it has been!
As I am typing this out, every friend I have ever shared a room / apartment with is just walking across my eyes. This post goes out to all my awesome roommates. It will be incomplete if I do not mention their names. It will be one long list though :). I will not bore my lovely readers with their introductions but will surely mention one or two traits I love about them the most. This doesn't meant they don't have other traits :D. If you manage to relate it to your personal experiences or roommates, I would think I have done a good job in keeping you occupied :-).
Ashok Poojary - First ever room mate and a caring one at that :)
Sushanth - Kannada speaking room mate in Mumbai. What more can you expect!? Free spirit...
Purnendu Shandilya - Giant with a heart of gold :). Ready for anything anytime of the day!
Akshat Jain - Spontaneous, Passionate, Playstation Partner
Vikas Anand - Studious types
Chandan Kumar - One of the Best Friends I will ever find :)
Adityavir Tyagi - Good cook, Prankster
Alok Jain - Butt of all jokes and not so typical Jain ;)
Vikas Dhankar - On phone all the time with his Jaanu.
Siddartha Mohanty - Super Prankster, Movie Partner,
Vikram Dev - Sensible, Extremely hard working.
Abhijeet Shetty - Someone who hated to be tied down in Office, Home sick!
Bibhupada Dash - Aloof, Good at heart!
Shamendra Ekka - Explorer, Adventure Freak!
Harsh Gandhi - Khabri (He actually knew where Osama was hiding too. Pity that Bush never asked). Lovely human being.
Maneesh Shanbhag – Mr. Dependable, Personal Photographer in UK :)
Ankur Badani - Industrious
Mohit Gandhi - Rolu Polu, Someone who loves to follow rules everywhere
Sandeep Bharadwaj - Typical Jatt if you know what I mean and an extrovert. Can make friends in minutes :)
Kamal Prasad - Lively, Have a lot in common, Great Company
Love you all and miss you!!
Roomies (I don't really like this word but since it sounds cool, I have used it) are one's backbone and family away from home. If you have ever had a bad experience with one, I feel sorry for you but then I am not talking about it here. This blog is like its author. Always positive :)
They are there to share happiness, they are there to share your dreams, they are there to hear your stories, they have seen you crib, they have seen you laugh, they have seen your anger, they have been guinea pigs for your cooking experiments, they are someone who have seen you in all moods and are there for you all the time.
They come in all shapes and sizes, all colour, caste and creed but nothing matters. At the end of the day, they are family! I am someone who did not want to get out of home for anything till I finished my college. Had I got a job in Mandya or Bangalore as soon as I finished my Engineering, I would have missed something big in life. I was always confident that I would survive anywhere in the world but got a chance to experience it only when I got out of home in 2005 and what an experience it has been!
As I am typing this out, every friend I have ever shared a room / apartment with is just walking across my eyes. This post goes out to all my awesome roommates. It will be incomplete if I do not mention their names. It will be one long list though :). I will not bore my lovely readers with their introductions but will surely mention one or two traits I love about them the most. This doesn't meant they don't have other traits :D. If you manage to relate it to your personal experiences or roommates, I would think I have done a good job in keeping you occupied :-).
Ashok Poojary - First ever room mate and a caring one at that :)
Sushanth - Kannada speaking room mate in Mumbai. What more can you expect!? Free spirit...
Purnendu Shandilya - Giant with a heart of gold :). Ready for anything anytime of the day!
Akshat Jain - Spontaneous, Passionate, Playstation Partner
Vikas Anand - Studious types
Chandan Kumar - One of the Best Friends I will ever find :)
Adityavir Tyagi - Good cook, Prankster
Alok Jain - Butt of all jokes and not so typical Jain ;)
Vikas Dhankar - On phone all the time with his Jaanu.
Siddartha Mohanty - Super Prankster, Movie Partner,
Vikram Dev - Sensible, Extremely hard working.
Abhijeet Shetty - Someone who hated to be tied down in Office, Home sick!
Bibhupada Dash - Aloof, Good at heart!
Shamendra Ekka - Explorer, Adventure Freak!
Harsh Gandhi - Khabri (He actually knew where Osama was hiding too. Pity that Bush never asked). Lovely human being.
Maneesh Shanbhag – Mr. Dependable, Personal Photographer in UK :)
Ankur Badani - Industrious
Mohit Gandhi - Rolu Polu, Someone who loves to follow rules everywhere
Sandeep Bharadwaj - Typical Jatt if you know what I mean and an extrovert. Can make friends in minutes :)
Kamal Prasad - Lively, Have a lot in common, Great Company
Love you all and miss you!!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I am high!! Totally high on movies I managed to watch this weekend and before my eyes drag me to my bed, I thought I should post the reviews. Some are old, some are new. Some are comedy, some are action. It was a cocktail of movies that took to me to a different world altogether. All the movies can be enjoyed at home on a DVD or you know where you can download them ;)... Links below the movie names will take you to IMDB and Wikipedia websites for more information.
The Mummy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mummy_(1999_film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/
I have watched this movie a thousand times (Okay I'm exaggerating) and still watch it whenever it is on TV. I like both The Mummy and Mummy returns. Never tried to watch the third part as it did not have the complete cast and crew of the first two movies.
3.5 out of 5
The Hangover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover_(film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/
Timeless classic I would say. Manages to tickle the funny bone whenever I watch it. Awesome.
4.5 out of 5
Red
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1245526/
Out and out Bruce Willis movie. Mindless Action but well made I would say.
3 out of 5
The Town
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Town_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/
Loved the movie. It is a movie a about a small town called Charlestown and about Bank robbers.Ben Afleck has not only acted well but also directed it really well
4 out of 5
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_pilgrim_vs_the_world
www.imdb.com/title/tt0446029/
Geeky. A total geek movie. A guy to win his girl has to battle her seven evil exes :) in Mortal Kombat style. People who've played console and PC games at least once in their lives will be able to relate to the movie. If not, don't even think about watching it.
3 out of 5
Boy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1560139/
Beautifully told story of a young 11 year old Boy who lives with his granny, a younger brother a goat and few cousins in a farm house. Fun fact about the movie is it the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time.
4 out of 5 ( 4 only because it is just a 90 min movie)
My best friend's girl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Best_Friend's_Girl_(2008_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1046163/
Romatic Comedy. Has its moments. But then thats it. One time watch only if it is on TV and you have nothing else to do.
2.5 out of 5
Ghost Writer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Writer_(film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1139328/
Awesome! A tale of a ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) who gets himself entagled in political conspiracy when he decides to ghost write the memoirs of an Ex British Prime Minister played by Pierce Brosnan.
4 out of 5
Since it is 14th of February, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Saint Valentine a very happy birthday and wish a very happy Valentine's day to all my loved ones!
Lots of love,
Varun
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| Courtesy: Google Image Search |
The Mummy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mummy_(1999_film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/
I have watched this movie a thousand times (Okay I'm exaggerating) and still watch it whenever it is on TV. I like both The Mummy and Mummy returns. Never tried to watch the third part as it did not have the complete cast and crew of the first two movies.
3.5 out of 5
The Hangover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover_(film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/
Timeless classic I would say. Manages to tickle the funny bone whenever I watch it. Awesome.
4.5 out of 5
Red
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1245526/
Out and out Bruce Willis movie. Mindless Action but well made I would say.
3 out of 5
The Town
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Town_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/
Loved the movie. It is a movie a about a small town called Charlestown and about Bank robbers.Ben Afleck has not only acted well but also directed it really well
4 out of 5
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_pilgrim_vs_the_world
www.imdb.com/title/tt0446029/
Geeky. A total geek movie. A guy to win his girl has to battle her seven evil exes :) in Mortal Kombat style. People who've played console and PC games at least once in their lives will be able to relate to the movie. If not, don't even think about watching it.
3 out of 5
Boy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_(2010_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1560139/
Beautifully told story of a young 11 year old Boy who lives with his granny, a younger brother a goat and few cousins in a farm house. Fun fact about the movie is it the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time.
4 out of 5 ( 4 only because it is just a 90 min movie)
My best friend's girl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Best_Friend's_Girl_(2008_film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1046163/
Romatic Comedy. Has its moments. But then thats it. One time watch only if it is on TV and you have nothing else to do.
2.5 out of 5
Ghost Writer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Writer_(film)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1139328/
Awesome! A tale of a ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) who gets himself entagled in political conspiracy when he decides to ghost write the memoirs of an Ex British Prime Minister played by Pierce Brosnan.
4 out of 5
Since it is 14th of February, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Saint Valentine a very happy birthday and wish a very happy Valentine's day to all my loved ones!
Lots of love,
Varun
Friday, February 4, 2011
This is something I have always wanted to do. Post a handwritten blog post. In case the written font is not too clear you can click on the picture to enlarge and read. Hope you enjoy it.
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Sunday, January 9, 2011
Whenever I come across pictures of amazing locales or read about them, I add them to my never ending list of places I want to visit. Worst part about this list though is, it is no where documented! It is stored in some corner of my mind. Before I lose track of all these lovely places, I thought I'll list them out here. Listed in no particular order. I want to visit the first place in the list as badly as the last one.
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| ♥ ♥ I love to Travel ♥ ♥ |
I will stick to places in India for now and in the part 2 of this series, I'll list out the places abroad.Please note that I have not listed the places I have already been to.
Travelling is something that gives one new insight to life. It also gives us an opportunity to learn new cultures, taste new delicacies and it makes us realize that there is lot more to life that updating Facebook status and it also makes us realize the importance of the place you are currently living in.
This post will be incomplete if I don't thank my Dad. If I have been to so many places in India (20 states out of 28), it is only because of him and it is only because of him that I love travelling. I can argue that I am a Sagittarius and travelling or wandering comes to me naturally but then as a kid if someone's infused that travelling is good and something that can be enjoyed and not something to be feared of, it has to be him!
Here goes the list;
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands / Lakshadweep - Two Amazing islands in India. One in Bay of Bengal and the other in Arabian Sea.
2. Leh and Ladakh / Jammu and Kashmir / Vaishno Devi
3. North East India (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura - Sister States)
4. Jodhpur / Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) - Only desert in India
5. Daman and Diu
6. Puducherry
7. If possible, every small village in Himalayas. Himalayas is one mountain range I never get tired of seeing. Have loved all my trips there.
8. Gokarna
9. Kanchipuram Temple and Madhurai Temple for its architecture.
10. Nainital / Kanatal / Kodai. In fact all small and big hill stations of India.Have been to most of the famous ones.
11. Reserve Forests / Wildlife Sanctuaries / National Parks - Would love to go to every one them. There are about 100. Bharatpur, Kaziranga, Gir and Corbett are on top of my list.
12. Goa - Yes! One more time.
13. Ajanta and Ellora Caves
14. Hampi - Want to go here again with a DSLR Camera
15. Alleppy - Kerala - Backwaters and House Boats
16. Dhanushkodi - End of land. Very close to Srilanka
17. North Karnataka - Bijapur, Badami, Patadakal, Aihole, Kudala Sangama
Since I am posting the links of each and every place, I am getting lost reading through them and have been typing this post since last 2 hours. I have a strong feeling that I have missed a lot of awesome places and I will surely keep visiting this post time and again and keep updating it. It also increases the numbers of hits on my blog you see :-)
If you think I have missed anything, please let me know! I'll surely add it to the list. In this busy world, I have no clue when and how I will find time to visit all these places but I am someone who firmly believes that time can be controlled and can be tweaked the way we want it to work.
I had watched the video below earlier but when I watched it on a television in Nigeria, it suddenly brought a sense of pride in me. Told my Nigerian friend proudly that this is India!
Watch out for part 2 of the series :) Hope you had a great weekend! Have a wonderful week ahead!
Update from Nigeria: Nigeria is treating me very well. 4 weeks out of the 12 have flown in no time. In 8 more weeks, I'll be back in India. Have plans to go to a nearby reserve forest and shop for some Nigerian handicrafts. India vs South Africa test series was awesome. Looking forward to one day series now.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Post card from Lagos
Posted by Varun | Sunday, December 26, 2010 | Category:
Ibeshe,
Lagos,
Nigeria,
Post Card
|
34
comments
As promised, here I am with a picture post card (Click on the thumbnails to see the full size image and don't forget to click on hyperlinks in the post) from Lagos. Before you dive into the pictures, here's a lil tidbit about the city!
"It’s the largest city in Africa, with wall-to-wall people, bumper-to-bumper cars. The city takes its name from the Portuguese for lagoon, and has been a Yoruba port, a British political centre and until 1991, Nigeria’s capital. It remains the economic and cultural powerhouse of the country, and has a superb live music scene and West Africa’s most inimitable street life. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you’re up for an urban adventure then you might find Lagos truly compelling. A true megacity and the face of modern Africa as much as any picture postcard national park – jump right in." - Lonely Planet
Will start off with a sign board and then move on to my apartment and office. People do keep the city clean. Main roads look spic-and-span but sometimes the footpaths and side roads are as smelly as Phoebe Buffay's cat!
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| Drawing Room |
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| Dining |
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| Balcony next to Drawing Room |
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| Kia Rio, My Roomie Kamal and our Driver Hakim |
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| Stairs from Drawing room to Bedrooms |
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| My Room :) |
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| Work Place. Golden Plaza, Lagos |
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| MTN's Y'ello (Yellow) Christmas Tree |
Enough of apartment and Office! Let me move on to bird's eye view of Lagos! (Pictures have been shot from the 9th floor of Golden Plaza!)
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| MTN parking lot |
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| Flyover, A housing colony and an old market |
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| Boat Club. Water seen is the back waters of Atlantic Ocean! |
Wasn't that just amazing!? I know I am praising my own pictures but is there anything wrong in calling an amazing picture amazing!? :-D
Okay now let me zoom in a little and show you the traffic,some buildings and anything that caught my eye while driving to work. Haven't really managed to capture the true essence of Lagos and the bumper to bumper traffic yet but since it is something that is seen almost every day, I'll capture if for you very soon!
I had read somewhere that if you drive in Lagos you can drive anywhere in the world. I think everyone would say the same about the city they live in but after seeing how people drive here, I should say, if you have driven in Bangalore, you can drive blind folded in Lagos.
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| Awolowo Road. Oh yes! There are Autos |
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| Lagos Taxi. Haven't traveled in one yet |
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| 100 cc Motorbikes are everywhere |
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| City Buses (Called Lag Bus) lined up |
Back waters you saw in one of the pictures above takes us to lots of lovely little lagoons and islands! One such beach cum lagoon is Ibeshe. We had a team outing there and it was awesome to say the least. I will round off my post with some memories from that trip.
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| With my Manager and someone who's taller than me |
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| I came here to work. I am not kidding! |
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| Ibeshe Resort |
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| Playing soccer/football |
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| Love the last two pictures! |
Hope you had a great Christmas weekend and hope you enjoyed the picture post card from Lagos! Stay tuned for more! :-)
PS:- For the entire album, please click here
Sunday, December 19, 2010
It has been a long time since I updated my blog about anything and it might come as a surprise to you that I am updating it from Nigeria. I came here last Sunday and will be here for another 11 weeks. The journey so far has been pleasing and I am hoping it will continue to be the same for next few weeks and months.
Thanks to my organization, I’m living in Lagos (Pronounced as Lay-gos by people out here) and in one of the posh localities of the city.
What strikes me the most in this city/country is the stark contrast between rich and poor! Person here will either own a Toyota Land Cruiser or an Audi or a BMW or will own nothing. Middle class seems to be non-existent.
I will write more about the city as and when I visit it. The only places I have visited so far are my office, a grocery store and a night club facing back waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There is no real threat to life but then we have been advised not to venture out alone.It will be some time before I start visiting places out here.
To give you an example of the life I am leading here, I share an air conditioned 2750 sq ft apartment with my team mate. It has 3 huge rooms, an awesome drawing room and a decent dining hall. And kitchen is any cook’s dream kitchen. Spacious and with all amenities! Wait! I am not done yet! We also have a chauffeur driven black Kia Rio car and a maid/cook :-). Royal treatment Eh!!?
I don’t remember when, but I was once asked by a British guy as to why we all Indians look alike!? I had no answers back then and since he was a friend, I had told him he must have gone mad! But now I know why he asked me that question. From the day I have landed here, every person looks the same to me. I was actually worried if I will be able to distinguish between the pop singer on TV and my driver. Even though I managed it by second day I call every singer on TV as Hakim now. That is btw my driver’s name.
Every person out here is friendly and tries to help. If you are out walking about a mile, you’ll end up wishing/greeting at least 10 unknown people along the way. They know that we are scared to even walk alone and try to make our lives as comfortable as possible. Had people not scared me so much, I would have preferred to walk to office every single day. Wondering what changed the lazy guys’ preference? It is traffic jam that has changed it all!! Jams here are the worst jams I have ever seen. Beats Bangalore traffic jams hollow. It took us 1 hour to drive a mile few days back. Weather is quite hot and humid but then that doesn’t really stop us from walking and being Indians, we are used to such heat and humidity.
Coming to food, we get all sorts of veggies and meat. You name it, we get it. It is probably a south Indians’ dream city as we get coconuts :-). Nice fresh ones for cooking! If a Malyali ever decides to migrate from Dubai, this is the city he/she should come to!
The only thing that I am not really happy about is the Internet speed. Feels as though I have gone back 10 years in time. To simply give you an idea about the speeds here, I tried to download a movie last night. The estimated time remaining was 11 weeks and 8 hours. I canceled the download because I might as well reach Bangalore by then and download it in 1 hour. I am not really complaining about the place though. I know every place comes with its set of pros and cons and I am happy as long as I am able to connect to the world!
Pictures and more details in my next post and now that I have time, I’ll post regularly!
Cya later Alligator ( Picked it up from my nephew Archith :-D)
PS: Flight to Nigeria was great. Emirates gets thumbs up from me! and here's the meaning of Y'ello for you!
Y’ello - A super hybrid form of both yo and hello, making a super greeting. Used extensively in Nigeria!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Cricket Mania
Posted by Varun | Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | Category:
Australia,
Cricket,
India,
Mohali,
Test Match
|
18
comments
I feel depressed whenever I watch the Indian cricket team lose. The depression increases many folds when they lose from a winning position. I know it is something not in my control. I know it is a sport and the team cannot win all the time. I know Sachin is not God. I know Dhoni is an over-rated star. I know Dravid and Laxman cannot win us test matches all the time. So what is it that causes the depression.
I think it is simply the love for the game and the country. Honestly speaking, inspite of all the match fixing, spot fixing scandals/allegations, inspite of overdose of cricket, I still love the game a lot. I might no longer follow every ball, I might no longer look at the score card every five seconds but I still follow the game whenever and wherever possible.
I hate it when people speak badly about team India. I hate it when smart-asses say idiotic things about the game. I hate it when self proclaimed experts of the game comment unnecessary things. I sometimes speak idiotic things too but deep down inside I am always hoping that the team wins. I simply cannot take Indian cricket team's failure.
Like every kid in India, I grew up watching cricket and hoping that I would play for India some day. I always dreamt about holding a bat and hitting the winning runs for the country. I could spin the ball like Kumble and bat like Sachin. Don't get surprised! Every one in India can do that. It is only a few lucky ones who play for the country though.
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Lunch Break
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Had started to write this post when Indians were 8 wickets down. Had gone out for lunch dejected and disappointed. Mann hi mann mein I was hoping for a miracle. Wanted to end this post in a jubiliant mood no matter what.
Miracle it was! Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman has taken India home yet again! I have to take one of my words back. Laxman can win us tests against Australia any given day. Australians don't seem to have the key to the treasure chest where Laxman safe guards his wicket.
What an amazing match and what an amazing player. I have been busy reading the articles written my Australian media ever since the win and it is truly a special feeling to read such awesome words.
Here are some snippets for you;
"Edges flew wide and short balls were bunted high and safe early in the partnership but eventually Laxman’s undeniable class kicked in"
"VVS Laxman steers India to very special Test match win"
"VVS Laxman has returned to thwart Australia yet again"
I don't want to discuss anything about the match since it will be the topic of the discussion in all news papers and all conference rooms for the next two days.
I am happy, I am jubilant, I am ecstatic and I am smiling. The frown I had when I started writing this post has vanished. I am as happy as the two people in the picture below;
And BTW, it will be interesting to see who takes the front page of the news paper tomorrow. Abhinav Bindra with his CWG gold medal or VVS. Your guess is as good as mine ;)
Monday, September 13, 2010
I have this habit of reading Google talk messages of all my friends at least one time every day and I am pretty sure that this habit of mine is not unique.
People generally update their status with inspirational quotes, new phone numbers, blog updates, song they are listening to, current location, personalized messages, hilarious jokes, movie reviews etc but I had a surprise in store when I read the status messages of my friends today.
Here's what I saw!!
- Dabang!!
- Item ye aam hui... darling tere liye
- Hum tum me itne ched karenge ki confuse ho jaoge... Ki sans kaha se le aur ..... !!
- Munni badnaam hui...darling tere liye...:-P
- Da Bang.....
- Lafander se humein yaad aaya ....
What does it tell you!? It tells me that all these friends of mine have watched the movie 'Dabangg' over the weekend and loved it. No one would spoil their personal space otherwise. So what is it you think has made this movie bigger than 3-idiots (Dabangg got a better opening than 3-idiots).
Following is my take on it;
In an era whe
re filmmakers have become thinkers and trying to out-think the audience by making films that no one really understands (Couldn't really understand the love story in Kites for example), this movie comes as a welcome surprise. You don't need brains to watch / understand this film. It is an out and out Bollywood entertainer. It is something Bollywood is known for.
Right from Deewar where the angry young hero manhandles around 20 people inside a garage to Dabangg where the hero single handedly kicks the hell out of a gang of dacoits, hindi cinema heroes are known to be super heroes by birth. Someone who can dodge a bullet or bomb and kill the bad guy with one quick blow.
We should thank Dabangg and Salman Khan for bringing this brand of hero back into Bollywood. Aamir tried it with Ghajini but it was any day a remake of tamil movie. This one is ek-dum original :)
Frankly speaking, I was tired of watching these crying, mentally retarded, metro sexual, realistic heroes on screen. I see those kinds of guys all the time on page 3 anyway.
Coming to the storyline of the movie, why do you want a story anyway when you so many other
things to cheer and whistle about (Oh yeah! I whistled to my hearts content watching the first day first show in Bangalore) . For instance, you have these amazing dialogues, brilliant songs, action sequences that even Rajnikant fans would be proud of, pretty actress and last but not least, Munni :)
Salman Khan has managed to strike a chord with everyone who has watched this movie so far and I am sure he'll continue to do so for the next few weeks/months to come. This movie is going to be one of the biggest hits of his career and one that will feed Salman's brothers and their kids for generations to come.
All said and done, if you ask me if I am waiting for Dabangg-2, my answer would be, "Kamaal karte ho yaar, ye bhi koyi pooch ne wali baat hai!!?" :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Schumi is back!
Posted by Varun | Thursday, January 28, 2010 | Category:
Cricket,
F-1,
General,
Movies,
PS3,
Telivision,
Tennis
|
18
comments
Before my comment section is taken over by spammers an
d before that poor thing surrenders into submission, I have decided to stage a comeback and kick them out!
You read it right! I am back! Tonnes and tonnes o
f work in office took me away from blogging and I somehow never made an attempt to come back after that.
My comeback news may not be as exciting as Michael Schumacher's comeback to Formula-1 but I am sure it will be more exciting than India's test series in Bangladesh :)
My parents and few friends who've seen me drive an Alto at 140 kmph, a Santro at 150 kmph, a Swift at 160 kmph and a Vauxhall Zafira at 190 kmph fondly call me Schumi and that explains the title of the post. I've been called a BMTC/KSTRC bus driver as well but I'll stick to the best name of the lot.
I get maximum number of comments when I let my thoughts flow arbitrarily and that is what I have decided to do for my comeback post. Here it goes;
Sports:
Cricket: It was good to see that none of the IPL teams hired services of Pakistani players. I simply loved reading the comments of Pakistani players after the auction was over. India Vs Bangladesh was a waste of time, money and players. It cost us Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh. Hope the replacements find their feet soon.
Tennis: Haven't followed Australian open very keenly this time around but I'll be rooting for anyone who'll be playing against Serena in the finals. Good to see Andy Murray in the finals. He'll be a tough nut to crack.
Formula 1: Can't wait till March. It will be one awesome, adrenaline pumping and exciting season.
Play-station 3: I am not sure if this qualifies as a sport but I love playing it whenever I find some free time. This is by the way the latest addition to my gadget showcase and another culprit that's kept me out of blogging :). I am currently playing Uncharted 2: Among thieves, FIFA 10 and Gran Tourismo 5 prologue.
Current Affairs: Shashi Taroor's tweets are more popular than any statement made in any parliament these days. But Abdul Kasab with his tandoori chicken demands and cheap comments and without any twitter account beats even Shashi Taroor to the headlines of all news papers. Not sure why they've not hanged him yet. If both of them fail to make it to the headlines, then it is definitely an Indian thrashed in Australia who gets the footage. Padma awards were a total mess this year with Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Sant Singh Chatwal making it to that list.
Movies: Haven't watched any new movie lately (My definition of lately is one week) but have plans to watch Ishqiya, Rann and Road to Sangam this weekend. Can't wait for My name is Khan.
Television: I am hooked on to 'Ye Pyar Na Hoga Kam' on Colors, musical reality show Music ka Maha Mukabla on Star Plus and Dance India Dance on Zee. I do watch Balika Vadhu too but don't mind missing it once in a while.
Travelogue: Had been to a lot of places nearby and far in last two months. Every place beautiful than the other. Goa, Mumbai, Mudigere, Chikmagaluru, Devaladakere, Horanadu, Shringeri, Kalasa, Shivmogga, Jog Falls, Linganamakki Dam to name a few. Now that I have started writing again, I'll probably write a post on my trips in detail very soon.
I’ll end the post with a section that I had promised I'll write with every new post.
Did you know? : A Haitian girl was found alive 15 days after quake. Miracle? What do you think?
PS: Apologies for not writing regularly.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Time to celebrate
Posted by Varun | Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Category:
Bangalore,
Bicycle,
Cyclathon,
meme,
Sonu Nigam Concert,
Yahoo
|
15
comments
It is my Dad's birthday on 11th October and since he will not be in India on that day, I have come up with a unique way to clebrate it here in Bengaluru. I have decideded to take part in two events. I have registered for one and yet to purchase tickets for another. Both the events are equally awesome and I am sure any person any where in this world would love to attend them.
Enjoy the teasers :)
To book tickets log on to http://www.livetree.in/events.htmlYeah! Sonu Nigam Live. That's what the Poster says! I just cannot wait another month to attend this concert. I'll be booking the tickets by next week. Tickets are priced at 550,1100 and 2200. A touch too high but then I am sure it will be worth every paisa.
For registration and more information, Log on to http://bsaherculescyclothon.in.com/
After the success of Bengaluru Marathon, it is time of cycle enthisiasts to do something similar. Yes, It it Cyclathon time! It is sponsored by BSA Hercules and is a Network 18 venture. I have already registered for this event and am looking forward to being a part of the first Bengaluru Cyclathon. Join me and get healthy. I'll be taking part in the 'Green Ride'.
Did you know about any of these events? Are you planning to attend them? Let me know if you do...
Apart from dad's birthday and these events there is one very important reason for me to celebrate! It is finally confirmed that we will be getting our salary hikes this year. We might get it next week! Yey, Yippe!! Yey!!. Can't stop grinning :D
From now on, I am planning to end all my posts with a Did you know section!. It might or might not be related to the post but will definintely be something new. Let me know if I should continue it or not! I promise it will not be techie stuff all the time. There are lot more interesting things happening in this world.
Did you know: Yahoo have launched thier own version of twitter (The world famous micro blogging site). It is called meme. You can create your accounts there in two ways. Either through invitation from your friends or through a waiting list which is quite long. I have created mine! When are you creating yours!?
My meme's titled Goodness Gracious Me(me) - http://meme.yahoo.com/varungiridhara
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