Solar eclipse 2010 as seen from Bangalore, India

What are these people doing?...Yes they are watching the solar eclipse from Bangalore planetarium. Today everything was favorable for me to watch this wonderful event. Planetarium was just 100 meters away  from my office...sky was clear....timing was convinient..

I reaching planetarium by 1.10 PM..there was a big crowd...Photographers carrying long camera lenses...TV channels... vehicles with big dish antenna mounted on it...I was really excited..I felt like I am part of some big event....

I also bought a filter goggles to watch the eclipse..I paid Rs.25... The eclipse in Bangalore was around 80-85%...the sunlight was dim like its going to rain soon...But if you look at the sky...you wont find the rain clouds...

There are multiple reflecting telescopes installed in the open space...They will show you a reflected image of the eclipse...so that you dont have to look directly to the sun.. But they steal the real excitement....

There is some sort of psychological impact also...whether scientists agree with it or not...I felt something...unusual...after sometime..I had a headache like feeling...not exactly a headache.... my friends also told they are experiencing same like me....may be I can say that....the dim sunlight...scary shadows..etc.gives you a sad feeling or... a fear that... the world is going to end now.

The shadows of trees...they become magical..the small holes between the leaves..they all take the shape of the eclipsed sun....this is really amazing....especially if you are in a place with lot of trees...and bangalore city is known for trees... I have captured the shadows of trees in Millers road during the solar eclipse shown below.

My Little Cousin Master Ostin

This is my little cousin Ostin. We call him "Mottu" with love. This time when I went home for two days, he was there.He is the youngest amoung my cousins..just 9. He easily mingles with people....keeps on asking questions. There is no end to his questions...And its very difficult to answer his questions as they are thought provoking.. At the same time funny too..

He is born and bought up in Mount Abu...he visits Kerala during his winter vacation...When he comes, home is filled with lot of fun and energy...His favorite past time is watching TV...and don't try interfere in that...He wants full control of the remote..

Sunday morning I was in sitting in the veranda and reading newspaper he was sitting next to me..He was talking to me..I did not pay much attention to him as I was reading news paper...After some time...he tried to interrupted me...it didn't work.

After serveral attempts suddenly he asked me a question..."Who makes this newspaper?" I said.... "Manorama News Paper Company" He is not interested in the answer..his aim is to turn my attention...Immediately he asked another question. "Who makes currecy notes?" ...I said.."India Goverment"...

He is not happy with the answer...He continued...who is printing....it?...I said somebody...some machine will be printing...he replied.."Then they can take any note from it right?" I thought for a moment..I am caught!!!... yes why not..the guy who is supervising the currecy printer can take a bundle from it...isnt it?

I didnt surrender..so I said...police will be watching them when they print the notes..so they can not take it...He replied..then the police can take money right??....Finally I said...no they are good people..so they can not. I returned back to reading...

I wanted to be with him some more days..but I had to leave on sunday evening to reach office...Next time when I visit home probably he won't be there..his school will reopen soon and he will be going back..

Saving a little kitten

It is around 10.00PM. I was preparing my dinner..suddenly I heard dogs barking in my veranda..
I opened the door and found a cute little kitten being attacked by two adult street dogs
Insane...!!  I felt really angry...don't they have common sense? two big dogs attacking a small baby cat.

I took out the broom from my kitchen and chased the dogs...I locked the gate so that they don't enter again..
came  back to the kitten..its terrified....crying and shivering...

I felt like picking it up and consoling...but..I don't touch pet animals..as we never had any pets in my family...
my mother hates bringing pet animals inside house. Frankly speaking.. I like them only from  a distance...I really like them a lot.

I told her...don't cry...the dogs are away and they will not come back....she still crying..I took another a soft broom and pushed her back..and said.. Go..Go..she is not moving....I moved to the other side and pushed a bit hard..she moved.. to the other side..

Now the tone of her cry changed....She is looking at me...I felt like..she is saying thanks and adopt me..Meanwhile a boy from the next apartment came...He likes pets..I asked him.. Is this your cat? He said No...Though he gave me a tip...Uncle...go away for sometime and come back..I went inside the apartment to close the main door.I saw the little kitten following me....crying myavuuuu....myavuuu...

Oh! God..I became her savior...her hero...she wants shelter in my apartment. But I can not take her inside...I can not sleep when a cat is inside my room..A difficult situation...Anyway she can sleep in my veranda without fear...The dogs cannot come in as I have closed the grills.

She cried a lot near my main door...I watched her through windows..She is waiting for me to open the door for her...I felt like I am the worst human being on earth...I did not open the door...now she is sleeping in the veranda..as I write this article....

A Journey with the pilgrims

Last Friday I traveled to my home town...as usual by train..Bangalore-Ernakulam Express. I had reserved a berth in the sleeper coach..

There's nothing unusual about it..I travel quite often..once or twice in a month.. But this time as soon as I entered my coach...I felt something different..its full of people in black attire..yes..I can easily identify them..they are pilgrims to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The people sitting in my coupe is staring at me..I felt little uneasy..but I gave a nice smile at them...one of them suddenly asked a question...I couldn't guess their language initially... but I understood the question..they are asking which is my seat..I told 13 middle berth.

Very soon other people with similar dress code surrounded me...they are looking at me as if I am a monkey in zoo..and I felt that they are not happy with me siting in that place...But I have no choice..I told myself...All is Well...All is well..the famous slogan from 3 idiots..

They started asking me weird questions...I figured out that they are speaking Telugu..but its not the standard telugu I have heard from my friends....I could not  understand many questions..and we don't have any other language in common....they know only Telugu...

One among them.a very young guy...looks like the most educated in their group... started speaking to me in broken English..but we used hand signals a lot to connect words..

He asked me "Job..?.Job..?." then he types on a virtual keyboard in the air..I got it ..he is asking what is my job..I told in the same way... I typed a in the virtual keyboard in the air and said..Computer... Oh! oh!...they looked at each other....Next immediate question....Salary..? Salary...? I replied.. No.. Salary...

Then this guy gave a lecture to the other guys..which I did not understand...may be he told...This guy is doing computer job without salary!!...This I could make out from their sympathetic look..But what I actually meant to say was that I can not tell you my salary..!!

Meanwhile other people started coming to the coupe and I figured out that these people did not have a confirmed berth....but they were not willing to move from here. Since nobody knows Telugu ...and nobody is able to convince them that this is not their seat...it was really funny...finally TTR came and asked them to move out....

I have never faced such a situation in India before...I thought I can speak to all Indian's somehow...Telugu is the only south Indian language....which I can not handle...and there are people in remote areas ..not getting proper education and exposure..It was shocking to realize this fact when India is growing at an all time high rate!!

Lots of things but no time

Today morning I just returned from a trip...then office..so feeling very sleepy and tired.
I have lots of things on my head to write...Most probably will start writing from tomorrow....