Category: Photography

Oh, those walls

Buildings are beautiful. Despite the negativity around schools, places of worship, or even court houses, the structure of some of those buildings is fascinating. And the reason is because what’s on the outside is far more interesting than what’s inside. One such building I came across during my visit to Kerala is this information centre in a national park. The inside of it was hollow, without much of the information it promised to contain. Nevertheless, the outside had a variety of textures to enjoy.

information centre

That’s my spot

A little clichéd though it is, reading—and reading in a good spot—satisfies me any day. I’ve always yearned for a comfortable couch to envelope me as I nestled in it reading through the night. Although that remained wishful thinking for long, it became a reality on a recent trip. My hotel room had this chair which despite its plain and hard appearance, turned out so much snugglier than it looked. After a tiring day and a hearty dinner, I curled up in it reading a wonderful book. I fell asleep unbeknownst to myself—and it was the best nap I’ve ever had.

my spot

Handmade in Pondicherry

I appreciate a well crafted handcraft, but I never choose fanciness over comfort. To me, a plain pair of flip-flops is always better than the leather-bound slippers with meticulous design. I wouldn’t even spare a second glance at the glittery, stone-studded stuff.

Having said that, when I saw these in Pondicherry, I couldn’t help but lose my composure. Not only did they catch my eye, but I almost considered buying a pair of these slippers. Now that’s unusual. Pondicherry is full of little shops like these where specialised cobblers custom-make footwear for customers. They measure the foot size and get it done within an hour. I was impressed by how soon they could deliver, and the fine finish in these footwear. They weren’t too cheap, but not over the top pricey either.

handmade footwear in Pondicherry

Baker’s goodness

The best thing about travelling is travelling. The next best thing is the food. On a trip to Pondicherry, my friend and I stopped at Baker’s Street. As fun as that sounds without context, to add context, Baker’s Street is the name of a local bakery full of French delicacies and goodness. It was one of those mornings after a night of splurging, and the last thing on my mind was more food. However, after looking at the display, I couldn’t resist. I didn’t eat much, but I made up for the lack of eating with an overflow of photographing. I had so many that I decided to put them all together. Well, what can you do when you’re so overwhelmed by sandwiches?

Baker's Street

Connecting cuisines

Nothing brings people together like good food and great conversations. I took this picture when I was out with friends who’ve lived in Korea for a while. While we exchanged stories about our cultures and mused about our distinct social practices, they also introduced me to sushi. It was my first experience with everything sushi—chopsticks, pickled ginger, soy sauce, wasabi (wow!), even rice balled up. Though I grew up in a rice-based household, sushi showed me a side to rice that I hadn’t known before. Not only was the flavour rich but it was also a blend of the familiar with the unfamiliar.

That day, that sushi became the bridge that connected me with the rest of Asia’s delectable cuisine.

sushi