Why are We Buying Art
The reasons one buys art are many. The few that I could think of right away, sitting here in my armchair are presented below in ascending order of engagement levels: … Continue reading
Collections!
On this cloudy rainy morning my morning-tea companion on tbe terrace is Alexander. And other great minds. And lest I as a collector get carried away and think of myself … Continue reading
Museums or Online?
I was writing a little description for one of my beloved pieces – doting on various aspects, discovering new elements that I had not noticed before and in general giving … Continue reading
Material Pleasures
When I was young I desired a million things but had no money to buy them with. Now when I am old, I have more money but very few things … Continue reading
A Thousand Flowers
The memory of a great experience becomes a seed in our mind Lying dormant until we water it with attention. If we just close our eyes and shut out the … Continue reading
Random Thoughts: A New Metric of Success
The success of scientific research paper is measured in the number of times it is quoted by other subsequeny published research papers. In the same way, the success or wealth … Continue reading
I must do more…
Strange how winning an auction of a intensely desired item can make one think! This is the little story of my 4am soul searching..
Weekend Musings – We shall never know ..
Exploring a whole new culture and its history, its evolution and the reasons that make it what it is today … is like taking a journey with imperfect lenses not … Continue reading
Why do I collect old things?
Why do we collect antiques? Why do I collect antiques? It could be to get as close as possible to the past. It is the only way to capture the … Continue reading
Wednesday Wisdom!
Every now and then words of wisdom (usually from others) try to enlighten me …
WHY I travel
A note on the ‘Why’ of travel – by a woman who lived a hundred years ago and traveled solo in those days [with servants]
Thoughts on Collecting
Last week someone asked me how do I go about selecting / rejecting pieces. I thought and answered but this is not an easy question and the thinking continues… Instead … Continue reading
Controversial Clever Lines
A very clever little work. But this advice is certainly not appropriate for all. There are many many situations in which I would give such advice to my children. And … Continue reading
The Emperor’s Robe of ‘Literacy’
They were called illiterate. Because those who decided this wrote with pen and paper wrote in characters and not pictures used a different script logic * had a qualitatively different … Continue reading
Finding Purpose
Let us pray to the Gods of Probability that the opportunities that come our way, come at the right timing in our lives, and that we have the wisdom to … Continue reading
Art & Dads
More than a decade ago, art began entering our lives and as a result, cash began leaving our bank. At some point we addressed this issue actively and wondered whether … Continue reading
Fragments and other Dilemmas
In my early collecting years, I came across several collectors who would happily buy fragments and enjoy their beauty. Fragments are textiles that were damaged enough to strip them off … Continue reading
Strength to Nepal Earthquake Survivors
Love & strength to all Nepalis. 😦 Memories from a few years ago. All these places are beautiful and it is sad that some of these did not survive. … Continue reading
Doubt & Hope | The Saga of Antique Yao Paintings
Ever had the dreaded feeling that some precious thing was lost forever? I’d been living with that feeling for over a year now! After the ‘Vanishing Cultures’ Exhibition [click to … Continue reading
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya – Immortal Mr. Lee Kuan Yew
asato ma sat gamaya tamaso ma jyotir gamaya mrityorma amritam gamaya In the moment of untruth let me see the truth In the moment of darkness let me see light, … Continue reading
Purpose of Life
“For the mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Without a concrete idea of what he is living for, man … Continue reading
Quote of the Day or rather Quote of My Life!
“Yeh world hai na world, is mein do tarah ke log hote hai … ek joh saari zindagi ek hi kaam karte rehte hai … aur doosre joh ek hi … Continue reading
Shedding Draupadi’s Sari before the Ocean
Yes – these are the true colors of the ocean in Phi Phi island, near Phuket Thailand. Yes I am extremely fortunate to have seen such waters several times in … Continue reading
SAIL AWAY …
‘Let me sail, let me sail, let the orinoco flow, Let me reach, let me beach On the shores of Tripoli. Let me sail, let me sail, Let me crash … Continue reading
A Bleak Sunset of Vanishing Cultures
Yesterday as I walked on Carter Road in the mood for contemplation, I witnessed this totally bland sunset. Grey, bleak, unnoticed, unsung and so gradual that visually one would not … Continue reading
Irresponsible Photography
There is no code of ethics for photographers or tour operators. Each is guided by their own moral compass and their own motivations. Sometimes those motivations can be less-than-sensitive and … Continue reading
Labour Day Contradiction
Today, the 1st of May, Labor day is a holiday that celebrates and honors workers. This photo on facebook reminded me of the shirts that the construction workers working on … Continue reading
Sleep deprived in the Urban Forest
No – not urban jungle. I mean the urban forest. I live near the center of Panjim city with a little hill behind my block and a landscaped garden with … Continue reading
Success
The success of an individual lies in the distance that she has managed to cover between the mindset (and therefore life) of her own grandmother and the life of her … Continue reading
Indian History – my education system failed me
My school teachers and my school text books always told me that India had been ruled by the British. But through my travel and the books that I have stumbled … Continue reading
Addition to my “wish list’
Want to do this someday: Jump off a mountain jm Jan 2013
Sanyas
Sometimes I feel like I have done everything there was to do. That there is nothing left to be done anymore that could engage my heart mind and soul for … Continue reading
The Kohinoor Diamond
Quoting from Wikipedia: “The Kōh-i Nūr which means “Mountain of Light” in Persian, also spelled Koh-i-noor, Koh-e Noor or Koh-i-Nur, is a 105 carat (21.6 g) diamond (in its most recent … Continue reading
Nomad across Time
As I live in the year 2012, and travel to different places, I realise that not all of us are living in the same spot in time. Yes we may … Continue reading
Every woman needs a Daughter!
My daughter is a ‘cat’ in spirit. She has the most likeable personality I have ever met combined with the ability to treat everyone like a piece of furniture. In … Continue reading
The Last Dance
The Paris Opera Ballet (France) presented at the Esplanade in Singapore recently. Before I entered the private box that I had a seat in, the hosts – the Esplanade management … Continue reading
New Year Contemplations
I never did see the value of celebrating the completion of an additional revolution of the earth around the sun. I did not see why this was a reason to … Continue reading
Thoughts and dreams
Experiences evoke thoughts and reactions and dreams. Some that I’d like to remember years from now have been put down here. jm
Third World Country Happiness
My 20 year old son asked a question to which I have no answer. We’d spent 2 hours neck deep in the Arabian Sea, wave-bashing at Candolim Beach and eaten … Continue reading
Falling from the sky
(Written in Sep 2010, images added in Nov 2011) Last year around the same time – we were in Lake Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand – getting our first taste … Continue reading
Heartaches and Heartbreaks 1
It was a night several years ago. Our apartment on the 17th floor was near enough to the balcony of the neighbours on the 16th and 17th floor – near … Continue reading
Units to measure Life – contemplations on a Birthday
As a teenager I had resolved that birthdays or anniversaries are in themselves useless. A year = a revolution of the earth around the sun. So it is at the … Continue reading
My journey as a Photographer
This is a copy of the ‘Biography’ page on Photo.net forum that I updated every now and then. At some point I gave up adding to this page ….but have … Continue reading
Death of a paradigm
I play chess. I have been playing chess for about 12 years off and on. My game hasn’t improved much and I am quite bad but its fun so I … Continue reading
Ancient Ku Traditions – Mourning, Forgiveness and Vengeance
Sub-Saharan Africa. Tobosa People. Ku Language. A tradition. A lesson for the world. The essence of that tradition is as follows: When someone kills a loved one – in the … Continue reading
Layer upon layer upon layer…
First there were the tribes. And they had a way of life…one in which they had hardship and struggles, and they made articles of lasting beauty in that environment. Today … Continue reading
Textile Art Photography
Today an idea descended upon me as I walked by the water….. A project that converges the twin streams of traditional textiles and photography…. I have with me a gorgeous … Continue reading
