24th December

24^th December 2017 was a day that changed many a lives that I know of. I was in the middle of a nearly 3200 kilometre train journey from Assam to Kerala when I was informed that my uncle had met with a road accident. He was driving a car, returning from his new born grandson’s choroonu ceremony in Trichur, Kerala.

A retired space scientist from VSSC, he was my local guardian for seven years (2000-07) while I studied at Sainik School near the state capital, Trivandrum. He was amongst the fittest and intellectually sharpest septuagenarians that I know of. What was initially thought of as a minor accident turned fatal, as the extent of internal injuries, came to the fore in the days and months ahead. He succumbed to them after nearly seven months of intensive care in one of the most advanced hospitals in Kerala. By the time he had left the body, he was barely a shadow of the living great that he was.

His, wasn’t an isolated story.

As the quality of Indian roads improve and the capabilities of our vehicles rises, so does the rate of accidents and the number of avoidable and premature lives that are lost.

Recent death of renowned musician Balabhaskar and his two year old daughter had broken the hearts of lakhs in Kerala and beyond. This tragic accident was only one among three accidents reported in ‘The Hindu’ newspaper on that fateful day, just from the southern states. Sadly, there isn’t a day now, a road accident and associated deaths fail to find column space in our daily newspapers.

Today wasn’t any different either, as I shockingly read about an accident that happened in the outskirts of Bangalore. A speeding car had rammed into a two-wheeler on a flyover taking with it the lives of a 41 year old and his 12 year old son. The report went onto say that the father was taking his son who complained of headache to a nearby clinic. The crash was so impactful that the boy’s body got crushed and severed around the waist into two halves. He was a 6^th standard student who only wanted his headache treated. As per the report, both the riders were without helmet and the car driver fled away from the scene.

A few weeks ago, I was witness to another fatal accident, this time on the access controlled peripheral expressway, NICE Road, connecting two ends of Bangalore. After taking the toll from Electronic City, I was speeding my way to Tumkur Road exit to attend to my next client meeting of the day on the other end of the city. A few miles down the road, traffic began to slow down and eventually came to a crawling stop. There had been an accident in the opposite carriageway. A speeding car had hit a scooter and the rider had died on the spot. A middle-aged looking man, wearing light blue denims and a stripped t-shirt, he was lying in a pool of blood with severe damages to his upper body & head. He was without a helmet.

I’m overcome by numbness when I come to think of these victims and those moments that mattered. I am sure I’ll never forget the face of a van driver whose body was pulled out from under an overturned van climbing down the Valparai hills on 1^st January 2017. I will also never forget the man in denims & t-shirt who lay still on the NICE Road. And so many more.

Momentarily we bring down the speed of our vehicles and drive cautiously. Soon that moment passes and we all get back to the hurry-burry of our daily lives. Driving recklessly to that next stop. As if we are invincible. Thinking such an accident would never happen to us.

We need to change!!!

Bloomberg reported in January 2018 that there are nearly 150,000 yearly deaths related to road accidents in India, or 400 deaths every day.

Roads - The Beast Within

For a normal guy, the “aam-aadmi”, I’m a very frequent traveller. I relish every opportunity to pack my bag and go on a trip, be it for work or personal purposes or on a holiday. The road excites me always. It inspires me, gives me joy & tells me stories. Irrespective of the destination, I look forward to each journey for the time I get to spend on roads.

The thrill of speeding away on a highway, negotiating tough twists, turns & hairpins are as important to me as the scenic/cultural experiences and adventures at the eventual destination. It’s no secret that any riding enthusiast would love to test the power of the vehicle when cruising on a long highway. I feel most powerful, alive and in control of life when I’m in control of a vehicle that is zooming past others and cruising at high speeds. So in these conditions, how do we ensure that safety is integrated into the whole equation? How do we make sure one reaches the desired destination in one piece?

To understand this, I believe it’s firstly important to list down the major concerns & dangers constantly faced by drivers/riders on Indian highways & city lanes.

•  Lack of lane discipline - One of the biggest challenges on Indian roads is the undisciplined jumping from one lane to the other, often without any indication. This holds true even in heavily congested city roads. This is not only dangerous to self & co-motorists, but also contributes heavily to traffic congestions in cities.  This is especially dangerous when an overtaking manoeuvre is performed through the left side of a vehicle. This is the cause of numerous accidents, and sadly, the Indian driver never learns.
• Driving on the wrong side of the road - This one is especially truer in Tier – II, III cities and smaller towns apart from highways. While on a highway, how many times have you noticed a two-wheeler/tractor/mini trucks/cars/rikshaw driving on the wrong side of the road to save a few minutes/meters instead of using the appropriate U-turns?    
• Unprotected highways – couple of years ago, one night while traveling by car in the Surat – Baroda stretch of NH 8, I saw a black cow lying dead in the middle of the road. It must’ve been crossing the road and must’ve been hit by a heavy truck, the driver of which may not have spotted the black animal crossing road in the dark night. Most sections of Indian highways pass through fields and a simple barbed wire fencing on both sides of the road is all it takes to prevent such avoidable incidents.
•  Relentless use of high beams - a good percentage of high impact accidents on road happens as a result of driver being temporarily blinded by extra bright headlights from the vehicles on opposite side. How much effort does it really take to dim your light while on road. I believe it is high time manufacturers included automated systems on all vehicles to dim the headlight upon sensing vehicles approaching at an appropriate distance from the opposite direction. 

The list is non exhaustive and the idea behind this post is not to list out the existing challenges and problems, rather to share my suggestions to enhance safety on Indian roads. Many of these are well known to all, but out of stubbornness and “I-can-do-no-wrong” feeling, they are just plainly ignored. So this post is a way to reiterate these points again and again and again until they are registered as critically important in every driver’s minds.

• Wear a seat belt/helmet, always! This is applicable not only to the driver, but all passengers.
• Never ever drink & drive. You might feel invincible & awesome for a moment, but NO!!
• Give proper indication prior to any manoeuvre, be it taking a turn, an exit or overtaking another vehicle. Use your lights & indicators intelligently to convey a message.
• Maintain your vehicle in good condition. Go in for timely services. Ensure your brakes, lights, indicators, wipers, horn and everything else are in proper working condition.
• And for god’s sake, please use the dimmer appropriately while driving in the night. This ignorance kills.
• Calls, Whatsapp & Facebook can wait. Keep your phone away while driving.
• “Taking a leap of faith” is a good topic if you are an inspirational speaker. But while on road, be 101% certain before attempting anything. Be careful, always!
•  Respect the pedestrian & respect the road.

As Gandhiji once very famously said, “be the change you wish to see in the world”; take pledge to never go on the wrong side of the road or make an improper exit or pass on through the left side. Follow the basic rules of road and be a good example for your kids & juniors to watch & learn.

Every one of us has bare minimum common sense and knows the basic rules & regulations to be followed, but many of us lazily ignores most of them. We follow rules only on strict police monitoring to avoid paying a penalty. Why don’t we realize that life is worst penalty we will have to pay for our ignorance?  We have all witnessed a big accident on road at least once. We all read about them every day on papers. Yet while on road, many of us deem these regulations pointless and a few unlucky ones pay the price for this ignorance every day. 

…be the change you wish to see in world…
…be compassionate to your fellow motorists & pedestrians, for its not always you who pay the price for your ignorance…

… follow the basic rules & enjoy the road …

A big shout out to the Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF), organizing road safety campaigns nationwide. This year alone, their initiative have reached 2 lakh drivers across the country spreading the message of road safety. As a passionate rider, I recognize that Safety begins with ME and support Nissan wholly in their initiatives. Let us join hands with Nissan and spread the message that road safety is each and every driver’s responsibility and your one unfortunate ignorance/mistake could lead to loss of lives.

#SafetyBeginsWithMe

Happy & Safe driving

A Page from the Rajasthan Dairy!!

A slow moving desert delight with a hump in its camel.

The rhythmic bumpy strides of a camel is one thing you should try at least once in a life. I took my chance during my visit to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. In the picture, two locals on their camels in the Great Indian Desert, the Thar!

I hope you like these pictures, give me your feedbacks. Link to my Facebook album -C.l.i.c.k.e.D

Abandoned!

Abandoned! A bundle, a bag, an axe, two beedi’s and two human souls.

When I clicked the above picture, little did I know that I would speak to those two, a few seconds later. They conveyed the following story, in part hindi and part gujarati.

“They had cooked Roti for the man in the Rickshaw for years & now the man had abandoned these two in the highway claiming that they had stolen some money. They showed me a Rs.100 note, which he said the man in the rikshaw had given them for their survival. On my question of what the bundle in the lady’s shoulder contained, I was told, the bundle contained all that they possessed. The man turned philosophical when he said, “We come here empty handed, so do we leave”.”

Possessions of a lifetime in a bundle. Can you imagine yourself being in a similar state? Pray! You are Fortunate.

I hope you like these pictures, give me your feedbacks. Link to my Facebook album -C.l.i.c.k.e.D

Eclipse, A Spectacle!

Lunar Eclipse, a Celestial Magic, a True Spectacle!

Sadly, I couldn’t capture better and more photos of the event.

I hope you like these pictures, give me your feedbacks. Link to my Facebook album - C.l.i.c.k.e.D

Finding the Feet

If the ball pitches short of length, you will need to rock back onto the back-foot to adjust to the bounce. If it is pitched full, you move your feet to the pitch of the ball to place it in the gap precisely. If it’s on middle and off, you shuffle your front foot across to play the ball into the midwicket region in leg side. If it is a spinner tossing up the ball, you might judiciously jump out of the crease to the pitch of the ball and loft it over the infield. The longevity of a batsman’s career at helm depends on how well he moves his feet to counter the fearsome balls thrown at him, but it’s not just the life of a cricketer that depends on the rule of finding your feet.

The story is similar for every one of us who ventures into a new thing or another almost every next moment. It might be a gadget that you just brought, a course you just opted for, a new person you just met up with, a relationship that you’ve just entered into or a new job you just got appointed for.

Just like the T-20, ODI& Test variants of the game, the above mentioned moments also classifies itself into various kinds, based on the significance and influence those events are bound to make to your life and into your foreseeable future. Some of them are like the normal T-20’s were you don’t waste time trying to find your feet, rather just go after the bowlers from the word ‘Go!’. You just go by trusting your instinct or hunch were in you might succeed or may even lose, but who cares, it’s just a T-20 and not the end of times. Then there are others like the 50 overs a side ODI matches, were you can’t afford to throw it away right at the start. Again, you wouldn’t want to waste a hell lot of time finding your feet, because then you’ll be lagging behind your mates with the task at hand.

Then comes the very random, occasional opportunities or events like a test match, were you are completely new to the situation and have a lot of time to compromise and be content with. The successful ones here are those people who accumulate the crease the longest, survive the most, for which you have to find your feet and get it moving exactly at the right times. First days of a job is one of those big opportunities and I am now padding up for that big test of mine. The conditions are totally unlike anything that I’ve seen ever before. It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity.

Many of the so called big problems in life may seem gigantic to many of us, but in fact it’s just a matter of finding the feet, changing our attitudes or perspectives of how we look at it. Picture them as challenges like seeing off the new ball in a test match and it is surely going to be an interesting chapter of our lives, which we are bound to come over with valuable investments of our time and our efforts.

~CoLoUrS~ A Photo-Exhibition.

… Colours when portrayed in the right proportions has a magical effect in soothing your eyes…

… here is an exhibition of random snaps clicked by a friend of mine, Shiva Krishnan. This is only a tip of the ice; catch the complete collection in his facebook album “CoLoUrS... My PhOtogRApHiCaL JoUrNeY”. Leave a comment to describe how you liked the pictures. Add on this guy in facebook for more of his photographs later on…

 

Reflections, of a life…

How often has it occurred to you; while having a coffee, while walking beside a lake or through a paddy field, while enjoying a silent sunset; that you start wondering about your past, when you feel like your past reflecting upon you, right there!

I do. I often get this feeling. The past 21 years of my life, it always appear before me as two distinct halves. First, there is the first ten years of my life, when all I can remember about is that of a guy, a shy kid who for most of the times rebelled when it came to staying away from his mother, his parents. Somewhere around the age of 8, I must have started to change, or I wouldn’t have been so happy and jubilant when I came to know that I had gotten entrance to Sainik School at a tender age of 10, into class 6, more than 300 miles away from my hometown.

The turn of the millennium marks the beginning of the 2^nd part of my life, the more colorful one, the more happening & eventful one. As my past reflects itself, I may have been a crying-baby at times till say, age 6 or 8, but then there was this change and I haven’t cried since 10, never have I wetted my eyebrows. Well, for the same reason, my close friends at the end of 7 years of school life refers to me as an emotion-less guy; one who never got sentimental. They still do, and throwing out any emotions other than joy, I must admit is a bit of a foreign land for me.

Every one of the 7 years at Kazhakoottam was one of its own kind. Early morning wake up calls at 5.30 in the 6^th standard, at the age of 10, and all I used to think was I shouldn’t have chosen to come here, and I could’ve been sleeping to the comforts of my bed at home. The numerous rounds around the parade ground, the strict P.T and the hard punishments that followed so early in the dawn at times reminded me that I always had a choice, that I could quit Sainik and go back to Palakkad any time I wanted. It may have been the inspiration from quotes like “Winners never Quit, Quitters never win” on placards all around the campus, it may have been the fear of telling my father that I can’t adjust to the strictness and hardships anymore, but I guess it was the sheer ego of me being a cool guy who wouldn’t flutter under any hardships, that took me forward in those hard initial years. The other consolation was of course the faces of my classmates, who are all far away from their homes just like me. I shall never forget the fun & horrendous days I spent with them, the people whom I grew up with.

I used to initially consider Sainik School as a huge mountain, a Mount Everest perhaps. Thousands of people try their hands and luck climbing it, but only a few tough and courageous ones make it at the end. I always take pride from the fact that of those 1000’s who wrote the entrance exam from Palakkad District, I was the only guy who made it to Sainik School in my batch. The thought of me climbing the rest of the mountain, and passing out one day just like all those respected seniors before us, it actually never crossed my mind in initial years. But as truth shall have it, one fine day in 2000 I was buying my uniforms, my first hockey stick, my black and white shoes and my big black trunk box from Trivandrum with my parents. Few moments pass, come another evening and I was at Trivandrum bus station with a bunch of suitcases & airbags waiting for a bus back home late in the evening all alone, and I was leaving a city which had been my home for the past 7 years, as simple as that.

… ‘Farewell to Dons 2k7’. Our ceremonial Dining Out at school mess in march 2007…

One thing, one lesson I had learnt at kazhakoottam is that men, people unite the most and best in troubled times. True unity comes not in happier hay days, but in the times of horror and sereneness.

The six months out of Sainik School was the weirdest days of my life. I had gotten a decent rank in state engineering exam, I had almost gotten through an exam and interview for merchant navy. That was when as if joking, my father asked me if I wanted to go to china to do Mechatronics. In a few days, mechatronics changing to aeronautical engineering was one of the few changes that happened, but I had decided in my heart that Nanjing was going to my home for the next four years, a city I hadn’t even heard of ever before. Questions were asked, stiff opposition persisted from relations and many other known people, but none of that wavered my thoughts one single bit.

With a seat booked at my current college in Nanjing I was bored to hell in the months of July, August & September. If not for my admission to Nanjing, these months would’ve been the most tensed ones filled with counseling's and admission procedures to the college according to state ranking. But I had already booked my place and had nothing better to do, as I mentioned. I tried my hand at learning Chinese by bits, but failed terribly. Those were the days when I became addicted to computer, internet and the then new social networking craze, Orkut. I began my life in cyber space during those days and that addiction to internet and social networking sites continue to date, and have made some marks in my life, which may very well remain un-erasable.

Just like the Mount Everest at Sainik School, I am about to reach the summit of another peak in a couple of months. The journey from that peak will be a hell lot different one. For the first time in my life since a few months after my 3^rd b’day, I will not be a student going to learn anymore. The backpack which once was filled with books and tiffin boxes to school will now be replaced with great hopes about a life to follow and the pressures of finding a suitable job first hand. I’ve always thought till a few months ago that school and college days are going to be the days of pressure, which once completed opens out your flood gates to an eternity of life which is to be casually lived, enjoyed. But I now feel that my days of life & enjoyment may have already come to a halt, and in a few months from now, I will also be pushed deep into the real darkness of life; the pressure cooker situation of deadlines & compromises and what not?

Now I feel how true the term Reflection is, for life is always a reflection of your past and your future, with the you of present being the still water in the lakes or the shining mirror in the wall.

Beijing Unplugged Part II

This is a continuation to my previous post, My Camera Speaks – Beijing Unplugged!! . In that post, I put up the snaps of those 7 places, that Beijing is known for in the tourist circuit; The Great Wall, The Olympic Stadium, Tiananmen, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City & The Monument of Heroes. This post covers some lesser known areas and some beautiful images that I loved personally.

… the beautifully lantern lit local Beijing Food Street. They serve all kinds of things in there, from the famous Beijing Roasted Duck to the starfish in the below picture to crazy snakes & scorpions…

… parts of the Summer Palace islanded by Kunming Lake. The beautiful bridge, known as Seven Arch Bridge is portrayed again in the below picture…

… the 798 Art District; a peaceful area immersed in art, colors & sculptures. The lady being sketched & the fully scaled stone model of BMW just gives you the taste of the place…  

… Peking University. It is to China, what Harvard is to America. Due to lack of time, I couldn’t find the main buildings in a vast campus but this Pagoda and the snaps around the lake are all beautiful…

… like any other mega city, vehicles in Beijing highways flowed just as easily as the blood through our veins…

  … the 2008 Olympic Torch which stood witness for those 16 days of the celebrations of world sports & games…

Share your thoughts if you liked the pictures. Check out my collection in Facebook, C.l.i.c.k.e.D .

My Camera Speaks – Beijing Unplugged!!

Beijing; the capital of the 2^nd most powerful nation in the world, and the 6 amazing days I spent there will not be forgotten any time soon.

This is a blog which explains the story of my 7 day trip to Beijing in 7 simple photographs. Photographs of the seven epic monuments & structures that defines Beijing. The Great Wall of China; the National Stadium which hosted 2008 Olympic games, a.k.a the Bird’s Nest; Tiananmen Square; the Summer Palace; the Forbidden City; the Temple of Heaven & the Monument of People’s Heroes at Tiananmen.

… the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China…

… National Stadium Beijing, a.k.a the Birds Nest…

… Tiananmen…

… Summer Palace…

… Forbidden City…

… Temple of Heaven…

… Monument of the People’s Heroes at Tiananmen…

Share your thoughts if you liked the pictures. Check out my collection in Facebook, C.l.i.c.k.e.D .

Sunset & Lake… A perfect cocktail!

There are not many things that soothes your mind as the sight of a setting sun. Nature had presented itself before me as a perfectly lit studio; all I had to do was capture them. The gentle breeze, the beautiful ‘n still lake, several smiling faces, I couldn’t have asked for a better treat!

 

 

…click here to check out my favorite clicks in an album named C.l.i.c.k.e.D in my facebook profile…

…leave a comment behind if you liked these…

A Photographic Journey!

This one is a slideshow made out of some photographs I've clicked and the slideshow was made by Bindiya Mathew. Thanks a lot! :)

My Passion Photography Slideshow: Naveen’s trip from Kochi (Cochin), Kerala, India to 2 cities China and was created by TripAdvisor. See another China slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

A night I’ll always cherish. World Champions!!

My mother used to talk often, and even did a few days ago about how she watched India winning the 1983 Cricket World Cup. I wondered what is it that’s so special about this victory; that made this memory so fresh in the hearts of someone who is not even the biggest fan of cricket. I found my answer several hours ago, when I watched the same scenes she had watched 28 years ago, the same passion and the same emotions, and I can surely say that those moments of glory shall remain afresh in me for the years to come, probably the length of my life.

It took 28 years and 7 editions of the tournament for India to clinch back the World Champion title, but this time around, they’ve done it in some style. They had the expectations of a billion home fans and had to cross all of the toughest challenges to reach the Zenith: Bangladesh – their nemesis 4 years ago, England, South Africa, West Indies, Australia & Pakistan before the dream final against Srilanka. They fumbled in a few, but there was always ominous signs of improvement and the way they peaked their game to the top gear was splendid, ensuring there was enough fuel left in the belly to last the length of 6 testing weeks.

The Srilankan journey to Mumbai was much more easier, much lesser hyped and much lower pressurized and it was evident in their showing in the finals as they were never really able to push India up to the extremes of pressures normally associated with high scoring World Cup final chases. In fact, knock out matches against Australia & Pakistan had a lot more excitement and anticipation surrounding them for the kind of cricketing and political rivalry that existed, while an India-Srilanka fixture seemed to happen almost every second day in a week.

The Moment of Glory!

 

Dhoni paused for several seconds after hitting that monstrous six and I am sure that would be the most peaceful couple of seconds of complete blankness, he might ever get to experience in his life. What that pause also did was it separated the night into two completely contrasting halves. The most complete batsmen of modern day cricket have just been assured a winners medallion; after 21 years, 453 matches and over 18000 runs! A man who was almost dropped from the team for poor form and fitness an year ago has just played the tournament of his life, with the Player of Tournament trophy sure to be in his kitty. A man who leaked 15 runs, 8 years ago, in a similar final in the very first over, has just lead what was described 6 weeks ago as a bunch of totally clueless bowlers to the helm of the world.

Dhoni soon returned back to his senses and he was no longer the witty captain cool of team India, tears came rolling down and there was no stopping emotions. Yuvraj Singh had promised to gift the world cup to Sachin Tendulkar and he rightly did so. This was a gift to Sachin Tendulkar from the players unlike all the previous years when Sachin gifted glory and happiness to his team mates and the billion followers.

Those victory laps that followed, those tears of glory running down the cheeks, those short hand interviews and that amazing presentation ceremony will all remain in the hearts of all our lifetimes; and from today I can share the experience & happiness of watching your nation win the world cup to the generations ahead just like my mother did.

Missed Ganguly in the field though. Wished to see him in the ground in the moments of glory!! He would've loved to hold that cup as much as anyone else! He must be mighty proud of Yuvi, Zak & Bhaji, 3 youngsters who got his backing in 2001 to beat the world in 2011!

Battle of the Rivals – India v Australia

I'd wanted to write an article about Sachin Tendulkar when the master blaster scored the first ever ODI 200 in history, last year; but then, an exam kept me from doing that. I'd also wanted to write an article on the eve 1st match of this World Cup; but then a bad fever and infected throat had me rest in the hospital instead. Now on the day of the what is called the business end of the tournament, the first quarter finals, nothing will and nothing can stop me from coming up with this piece of writing on a sport that i love, that flows through my veins, that flows through the veins of over a billion people, Cricket!

Ever since that historical test match at Kolkata against Australia in 2001, the outlook of Indian cricket team had taken a U-turn around the world. Under the inspired captaincy of Sourav Ganguly and magical performances by Laxman, Dravid & Harbhajan India thrashed the then "Invincible" Australian side from almost impossible scenarios and even went on to win the series. The 2003 Indian tour to Down Under saw India winning a test match in Australia after ages, once again choreographed by Dravid & Laxman. A final resistance from Steve Waugh in his final international innings saved the test for Aussies and the series was drawn at 1-1. Since then, huge waves of anticipation followed every single India-Australia fixture and also produced some of the most finest & exciting performances of the last decade.

Today we are one day to go for yet another India-Australia contest and probably the most important one since the 2003 finals at Johannesburg. The core of Indian team remains the same even today, but Australia is no longer the might they used to be.

• Zaheer Khan will be daring to go against the Australian openers again, wanting to make up for his ill-fated opening over 8 years ago.
• Sachin Tendulkar will want to make his 100th international ton against his favorite opposition in a match that will take him closer to his only remaining dream, the World Cup.
• Sehwag will be looking forward to relish the big stage yet again, wanting to bat for the length of the innings and thus single-handedly take the match away with his blade.
• Yuvraj will want to continue his excellent showings with both bat & ball in his rebirth, a couple more of good performances and the Player of Series trophy could be in his showcase!
• Harbhajan will want to lead the spin trio from front, hunting the kangaroos down just like the way they did over a month ago at the warm-ups!

The above five couldn't stop an Australian team when it mattered 8 years ago, and they wouldn't want to repeat those mistakes again.

Enough said, Australia have always been my favorite team outside India and Ponting the captain is placed shoulder-to-shoulder with my icon Ganguly. I know its funny, but I often compared his autocracy in the field to the then President of USA, George W Bush. Its a shame that this game ain't happening at Mumbai with the World Cup all but up for the grabs. On any other day, against any other opposition Ponting, Lee & Clarke would've been the players I would've loved to see smiling, but not tomorrow. Come tomorrow evening, the Kangaroos will enter into the bulls ring surrounded by over 50,000 cheering fans, taking on the mighty tigers of India. Over a billion viewers will want to see the raised willow of a smiling Sachin & joyous celebration of Zaheer & Co in the field. Go India, Go!!!

~A Spring Evening~

An evening with cloudless skies, a setting sun and a pretty breeze oozing around; the place looked at its amazing best! These are some of the photos I captured in a warm spring evening at XuanWu Lake Park, Nanjing after some months of  ruthless winter.

 

  

…this is the Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, tallest building in city & 7th tallest in the world…

 

 

… The Nanjing Skyline…

I hope you have enjoyed these photographs of mine, and leave comments to let me know how you felt.