tchotchkesandtrinkets

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

The summer of 1994 it was. My little brother would always be irksome ‘bout the fact that his birthday happened to fall in the month of May. 20th May, the hopeless day. Matlab no fancy cake cutting or pompous distribution of sweets at school. To my mother he would squeal, “Why why why didn’t you deliver me in April or June…And why did God make vacations in May”. While he played sulk-all-day for all the bygone years, he couldn’t make peace with one more low profile celebration. Since bachpan, he believed in livin la dolce vita , which is evident as I see how he is totally rocking it today.

So here’s what he did one April. My dad worked in the Navy and would be home seldom. He had given me a thousand bucks to pay the cable fellow, which I safely parked beside the coral shelf. But that night, my eyes couldn’t meet that note. I started hitting the roof, while my mom took off every coral and scanned the shelf some bazillion times, and my grandma (Mrs. Holmes) started giving the stares to my maid. That night was the longest I’d seen, until of course my first break up. Morning came. There was fog in my head. I started concocting up excuses I’d have to give my dad for if he’d called. But I didn’t have to, no more. My mom said she’d cover up for me. Her trust in me was safe.

So where did that 1000 bucks evaporate! This mystery solved itself while my mom picked up bacon at the supermarket. There she bumped into her friend, whose kid was apparently my brother’s buddy. Then came the revelation. She told my mom of my brother’s ostentatious birthday at school. Of how he made the entire class sing Happy Birthday. And of how he gave each of them a Cadbury large bar. My mother was almost gonna mutter that there was yet a month to go for Keith’s birthday, just when the devious esoteric plot struck her. It was no trigonometry equation to crack. She came and told me the sweet story of the missing cable money. Both of us couldn’t decide the little imp’s plight. We were caught between feeling sorry for the helpless kid and deciding the mildest punishment for the innocent thief.

#ThingsKidsDo

#SummerBirthdays

#ForTheLoveOfCadbury

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

The rich poverty of Rome

They say Rome was not built in a day…well, even a cursory glance through the city will justify just why. And as if the mighty architectural wonders weren’t enough, this city has a way of flooring you with more. So as you parade by the mighty colosseum, the spectacular Fontana di Trevi, the historic Spanish Steps, the grand Piazza Navona, you’ll have some entertaining company along the streets. Courtesy - the brilliantly awesome street performers or buskers who sell art for a living. And mind you, they aren’t no ordinary artists; they’re better than the ones you might encounter at a formal stage or theatre. Only here, you don’t have to compulsorily shell out a penny. A humble bowl is what you’ll find placed in front of them, inviting gratitude of any amount. And trust me, these guys are so good, your heart will pour out those cents in there.

The cultural landscape that has built modern Rome

Rome is best explored on foot. You get to experience the vibe, and a geographic benefit for tourists is that most of the prime spots are just at a street’s distance from each other. What’s more, every street treats you to a surprising performer who just knows how to make your day. You’re suddenly transported in this haven of magicians who just charm you with their talent. You’ll find all sorts. Year-round, a posse of street entertainers lure you with different forms of art – from living statues to puppeteering/clowning, painting and sketching to juggling, levitation artists to a full-fledged musical band, they’re out to impress you and how! There’s tough competition on the block with each performance being a spectacle of a kind.

As the sun sets, tourists flock by the streets to soak in its captivating charisma.

Though unsung in modern times, busking or the popularly called street performances, has a rich and long history that dates way back to ancient times. When it was the single most common expression of the human spirit: a viable, honorable, and traditional way of making a living. Rome has a rich culture that believes that public spaces should be places of spontaneity, which allow for serendipitous experiences that delight you. There are various organisations like ASAP (Association of Street Artists And Performers) that actively promote this clan and campaign against policies that threaten street culture.

Speaking to one of these artists taught me that most have no other employment options; they’re not qualified for other work. They keep on doing this because at the end of the day it’s all they have. A rather dignified way of earning, instead of just begging, isn’t it?

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

HISTORY. Outside the textbook.

How History looks outside the textbook.

Built on the highest point of the Acropolis hills, the Parthenon-dedicated to the goddess Athena, strikes a pretty pose for every traveler. What food must have been fed to this mighty structure for it to withstand the ravages, explosions, looting and yet stay unabated!

#mytinyatlas #greece #athens #acropolis #parthenon #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #travelstoke #passionpassport #postcardsfromaroundtheworld #history #architecturelovers #awesomeglobe #sky #lonelyplanet #wanderlust #natgeo #fatalframes #agameoftones #CNBCTravel #bbctravel #sheexplores #vscocam #vsco (at Parthenon)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

The 114 curves along the drive to the Champans Peak treat you to one of the world's best scenic views. With the Atlantic Ocean dashing against the giant mountains on one side and the Table Mountain dispersed with homes on the other, you're in for one hell of a breathtaking ride! #breathtaking #beautifuldestinations #wanderlust #travelgram #mountains #southafrica #capetown #chapmanspeak #mytinyatlas #sheexplores #natgeotravel #postcardsfromtheworld #agameoftones (at Chapman's Peak)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

Barbequed clouds for dinner tonight. Come. #marinedrive #sunset #agameoftones

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

I love the sun. I love that certainty of warmth. That every day at a familiar time unfailingly comes to brighten you up. I quite am into this kind of love. Where you don't wake up one morning and find the moon. Where even if it's cloudy, you know he'll be back soon. No quid pro quo. The sun. That love. This life.

The day someone asked me: What is love?

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

A city with no traffic jams, clear waters and a 12th century transportation that you could still ride in. Unearthly...but not if you're in Venice. If you wish to pimp your ride, once a while, skip the regular water bus, water train, water boat, water what-not, and enjoy the luxury of strolling around the Venetian backwaters, canals and lagoons on a traditional gondola. It is handmade using 8 different types of wood, and of course elegant and charming. #venice #mytinyatlas #beautifuldestinations #sheexplores #architecturelovers #afterlight #fatalframes #igers #iphone #vsco #passionpassport #postcardsfromaroundtheworld #cnbctravel #bbctravel #italian_places #agameoftones (at Venezia, Italia)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

Visited a place richer than a gold mine today :) Let me take you here. Imagine a structure 99 meters in the sky, ornated in pure gold and crowned by a tip studded with over 5 thousand diamonds and rubies. All this donated by the people of Burma to create the world's largest pagoda! Not forgetting, this relic is embedded with 8 hair strands of Buddha. #burma #beautifuldestinations #budha #pagoda #shwedagonpagoda #goldrush #postcardsfromtheworld #myanmar #yangon #shwedagon #pptraveltreasures #pprepetition (at Shwedagon Paya, Burma)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

From wherever your fancy shoes stand at the waterfront, the cape wheel stares back with flashy eyes, reminding you metaphorically; that there will be times when you enjoy the view from the top and then you'll get back on the ground of reality. What's reassuring is, the stay neither up nor below is permanent. And betwixt that distance, all hopes and dreams are divided. Through all the wandering, there's always a lot wondering. #capetown #travelgram #capewheel #beautifuldestinations #passionpassport #cptmx #southafrica #instapic #night #instaexplore #giantwheel #sheexplores #mytinyatlas #wanderlust #fatalframes #tbt #postcardsfromtheworld #intoafrica #pprepetition (at Waterfront Cape Wheel)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

This street makes for a good ambient advertising for Asian Paints...But what if I told you these are houses of the descendants of slaves brought down from Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Africa by the Dutch imperialists? The colours are a symbol of a multicultural history. And yes, there are some really nice families living in there! #colourfulstreets #architecturelovers #wanderlust #beautifuldestinations #cptmx #mytinyatlas #postcardsfromtheworld #sheexplores #agameoftones #cnbctravel #southafrica #PPTravelTreasures #intoafrica (at Bokaap)

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

Life's funny when on a quotidian walk, you get showered by a rainfall of copper pods for doing or achieving nothing at all. #thankyou #flowers #mumbai #summer #kolhapuri #shoegram #happyfeet #whpgoodmorning #cntgiveitashot #ppinbloom #ppordinary

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

He was the only bird in the sky. It was the only boat in the sea. And she was the only girl on land. #shortstory #sea #sunset #mumbai #fatalframes #boat #birdsofinstagram #sky #incredibleindia #isolation

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

Bunked office and spent the day staring at a Venice afternoon

A-once-in-blue-moon-afternoon 

They talk highly of the moon 

You must get green 

But you have a charm of your own 

If only people used you better 

But it’s not everyday they have the luxury of parking their mind on you 

For locked in many worldly chores they miss a chance or two 

But today, I do 

So who shall I tell of your energy 

Who shall I speak of your light 

Should I just keep you unscathed 

So that no one, on you, would lay their eye 

Till then ill draw the curtains you’ve coloured orange 

And clink an air toast from the sprigged window frame 

Watch a ballet of waves from below you 

And make plans to see you once again

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

One wintry night

Four feet chirped on one moonlit night

Their music drowned every passerby

I wondered if they knew the brook runs west

Wandered they, like lost birds who knew not their nest

 Their lovely words were spoken then

And stories exchanged from good times of old

 They must be picnicking, once every while

Stretching their youth till more winters pass by

 And just to see hope such

I am joyful than you are

And they, more joyful than I am

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

The fish that was thrown on the shore

Just three breaths left for that fish out of water.

The first he uses, only to waste; exhaling way too longer than the subsequent inhale.

The second, just half enough to last for the last.

The last one, his heart weaker, holding it long till a flashback of every memory waves a goodbye. Emptying every drop of air that’s inside.

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

The sweetest tablets #Konkankanya

Since I’m not one of the cool plug-in-earphones-and-get-lost-in-your-own-world-types, I keep myself amused with some outlandish people I bump into to.

It’s post dinner inside the Express. My fellow commuters – a noisy happy family. I’m parked at the upper berth with a bird’s view to the madness below. So everyone’s finished the family packed meal when my eyes halt at the pest sitting with his grandpa. He removes a big dabba, inside which are 5-6 colourful chotu chotu dabbas of tic tac, m&m, gems and peppermint candies. He carefully picks one from each box and gives them all to his grandfather. Along with a glass of water. They were his grandpa’s pills.

[tchotchkesandtrinkets]

Red-100 | Black&Yellow-10

Given a chance and knowing I’m on time, I’d choose a BEST bus 100 out of 100 times than take a cab may be 10 times out of 100 if I were late or lazy.

Many years past, waiting at the bus stop was awkward, more than a waste of time. Still worse, the embarrassment if some known face met your eyes while they were in a car/cab.

The way things change once you’ve grown up and grabbed a stint at someplace good. And then, you give a darn about the world. You just live the way your life ought to be lived. You have enough to take a cab but the joy of a bus ride is a short-lived adventure you wouldn’t miss.

The never ending wait for the bus, the popping your head like a giraffe at each bus far in sight, the bird watching at fellow passengers and staring at each passing vehicle and judging the world. But what I love most about a bus ride is, the way it increases your travel time, especially if you wanna delay reaching your destination on purpose, and the way it naturally gives you a breather of sight seeing your city in a new light, every time. The way your face stares expressionless like a bronze mask at the delightful cityscape. The way you can cheat weird glances or make funny faces at passersby who you know you’ll never see again. Yes yes, also you give a darn if you’re at a signal, thanks to fixed fare.

Indeed local buses, they have a charm of their own. Hop on a BEST bus one Sunday, buy a ticket to the last stop and enjoy the show.