Golden Landscape

The amber fields in Wisconsin offer a warm glow in contrast to the green corn and hay fields. Next week, the tranquility of these fields will be replaced by the chaotic India streets.

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Finishing Touches on Kolam

Finishing Touches on Kolam, originally uploaded by melissaenderle.

Finished a color pencil drawing of a young woman working on a kolam (rangoli).

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My Mother's Backyard

Gardening and flowers has always been a passion of my mother's. Now that she is retired, she devoted even more time to tending her many gardens and pond nestled around their house in Wisconsin. This coming Tuesday, her efforts will be featured in a garden walk. Congratulations, mom!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Theresa, Wisconsin

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Victoria Terminus Interior

After admiring the exterior of the Victoria Terminus Railway building, we ventured inside. As expected, the architecture here was also admirable, filled with lots of details. 

Being as it was only around 8am on Sunday, the platforms weren't as crowded - much to my pleasure. I can't imagine how dense the crowds would be at peak times.

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Peacock Window

The elaborate Victoria Terminus building also has some beautiful windows, such as this one with a peacock design above it. Very appropriate, as the peacock is the national bird of India.

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Victoria Terminus Dome

The Domed structure on the Victoria Terminus building is particularly pretty. Standing on the top is a massive statue of the female figure Progress, holding a spoked wheel and torch.  Note the many gargoyles protruding from the sides, just as in many Gothic cathedrals.

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Victoria Terminus Building, Mumbai

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus, is one of the busiest railway stations in India. Built in 1887 in a Victorian Gothic style, this structure is to be admired for its beauty as well as how it manages to serve so many people every day. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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I'll Have That on Ice

In steamy Mumbai, it's imperative that just-caught fish be cooled down quickly. To transport the fish throughout the city, they are placed in baskets, including these woven ones. Not sure I'd want to carry a loosely woven basket of fish & ice on my head in a hot climate....

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Making Breakfast the Big Way

This man was busy making breakfast in the area of Mumbai where fish were being packed with ice and distributed. No doubt those porters and fishermen had drummed out a healthy appetite. 

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Like Old Times

While visiting a village south of Jodhpur, India, I captured this shot. These two farmers slowly strolled along, engaged in a cordial conversation. Perhaps they were discussing about one of farmers' favorite topics - the weather. Regardless, I really like it how even busy farmers take the time to meet w/ each other while enjoying tea.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jodhpur, Rajasthan India

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Head of Fish

Early in the morning in Mumbai, you can find people walking at a brisk pace, carrying bowls of fish on their head. The fish have just arrived from the sea and scooped into bowls, along with some ice. It is up to these people to take the fish and get them to destinations around Mumbai in a timely manner. This man was walking towards Victoria Terminus.

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JD Intarsia on Etsy

This week I helped my dad set up his entrepreneurial venture on the website Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/jdintarsia . On this site, you will find the intarsia pieces that he and my mom have made. Intarsia reminds me of puzzles made of carefully assembled pieces of different types of wood. All colors are from the natural grains/colors of the actual wood. Take a look!

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Adam's Building

Being that Chennai was a mere fishing village until recent history, it has few buildings that could be considered old. Located in the older Georgetown area of Chennai, this building dates back to 1923. I like the decorative wood trimming (which reminds me of the hanging mango leaves you sometimes see over doorways) and balcony.

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An Electrician's Nightmare

Take a walk through congested areas of most cities of India and you're bound to run into electrical installations or add-ons that are scary - and of dubious legitimacy.

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Taking a Cow by its Horns

Maneuvering your cow through the crowded streets of old Georgetown in Chennai can be rather tricky. 

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You Never Know what You'll Pass on an Indian Road

Indian roads are far from dull. There's the constant honking, daredevil passing, selective adherence to road rules/signs, and then there's those who use the roads. Aside from the usual melange of trucks, auto rickshaws, buses, cars, motorcycles, motorbikes, pedestrians, and bicycles, one can also find animals being used as transport vehicles. In South India, that usually is the cow. In northern India, camels are a favored beast. Occasionally though, elephants are also used. Staying observant and keeping the camera handy enabled me to quickly snap this photo as we drove past on the highway to Patan, Gujarat.

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Men in White

While we baked in the "AC room" of the restaurant that didn't have electricity, these men enjoyed the company of fellow farmers outside. They had gathered to celebrate a birthday of another farmer. The typical uniform for farmers in this region of Gujarat is all white - from the turban down to the pants.

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Shadowebs

When walking through a small Banni village in remote Gujarat, I was intrigued by the shadows cast by an incomplete conical thatched roof. Many of the buildings (mud and concrete alike) in the Kutch region of Gujarat were flattened during the devastating earthquake in 2001. Many of the mud huts are being rebuilt using concrete. 

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Jasmine-Scented Chennai

Few things are more symbolic and representative of Tamil Nadu than its temples and prolific use of jasmine. This fragrant white flower permeates all of Tamil society. Nearly every street corner has a woman busily stringing together these white buds. From festivities to paying homage, inside temples as well as adorning the virgin Mary, and secured to the braided black hair, the simple jasmine flower can be found. Its life span with maximum fragrance is around 24 hours, requiring a quick turnaround from plucking to customer.

The main source of flowers headed to the main Chennai market of Koyembedu comes from Periapalayam, Oothukottai, Arni, Vengal, Chengalapattu, Madurantakam, and Tiruvannamalai. (Some day I'd love to visit a jasmine farm in one of these towns). A smaller market for jasmine is found in Parry's Corner. These markets are particularly popular with women, who then string them into garlands sold by the mozham, the length between the elbow and fingertips. At about 4AM, the first of the flowers arrive. These early batches command the highest prices. As the day wanes, so does the price. Scent factories have begun purchasing jasmine in bulk during the late afternoon hours, reducing waste and benefitting the farmers. Irregardless of the price, most regular customers wouldn't do without their daily purchase of jasmine. 

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Gujarat's Nuclear Power Plants

After the terrible nuclear tragedies in Japan, many counties are reconsidering their nuclear power programs.   Gujarat is one of the states in India that have recently initiated nuclear plant constructions. In a particularly energy-deficient country such as India, what future role will nuclear power play? This plant was photographed in Gujarat near Ahmedabad.

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