.S.P.I.C.E.

Upgraded myself to WP-2.0 , Did I say that it Rocks and it rocks big time …

Just love the interface and everything…

-@

Wish you all a very very *Happy New Year*. This new year brings me a lot of responsibilities, many debts to fullfill and hopefully… lots of oppurtunities.

It’ll be wrong for me to say that the last year didnt bring it… It did, but I failed to make proper use of it. The new year resolution is *I wont give up* proper Naruto style

Oh yes, and I promise to be regular from now on…

=@

I tire from walking, the raindrops hit my face;
Out here chasing an uncatchable rabbit.
I can see deep into your eyes;
like the bubbling waters in the depth of a dark sea.
You’re calling out to me, to me…
I’m right here.

Where, where should I go….
… to satisfy these desires ?
Let’s head home, and then tomorrow,
will you smile and say, “Everything is all right?”
I call out your name, your name,,,
I’ll give you a warm embrace.
Just close your eyes and remember our childhood days,

You make up for the areas that I am lacking,
I’ve forgotten all about the sad times,
so I’m not scared at all,

Now I’ve lied, and I feel remorse …
Somehow I managed to grow up.
Now I feel ashamed, and I nervously sweat…
But even then still, I’ve found a reason to continue the dance.
I scorch my soul, scorch my soul … I’m yelling out to the heavens!
If I just open that door, that door, I’ll be saved.
Lets head home, and then..
Lets meet that white rabbit on the dark side of the moon.
Lets head home… and then tomorrow,
we’ll be laughing in our bare feet.

You’re calling out to me, to me…
I’ll give you a warm embrace.
Just close your eyes and remember our childhood days.

I tire from walking, the raindrops hit my face….
…. out here chasing an uncatchable white rabbit.
I can see deep into your eyes….
… like the bubbling waters in the depths of a dark sea.
I call out your name, your name,
I’m right here….
Now if I can just tell this to my heart, my heart,
these desires will be satisfied…..

—
Thus goes the translation of the main song of Naruto: The Movie titled Home, Sweet Home. I am a total fan of Anime Lyrics, they are so great, so inspirirng and so heart-moving.

I wish I was born in Japan.
-Thakkar
PS: If you havent seen the movie yet, try it out…. It has everything, the Sharingan, the Chidori and the great Kakashi Sensei!!

I am a Phoenix. Was going through GV’s Blog, and came upon this Which Mythological Form Are you quiz, and cudnt help but take it, I have always been sure that I am a Dragon, but this stupid thing says this:
======================================

You are Form 0, Phoenix: The Eternal.

“And The Phoenix’s cycle had reached
zenith, so he consumed himself in fire. He
emerged from his own ashes, to be forever
immortal.”

Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl
(Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum
(Egyptian).
The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life,
the number 0, and the element of fire.
His sign is the eclipsed sun.

As a member of Form 0, you are a determined
individual. You tend to keep your sense of
optomism, even through tough times and have a
positive outlook on most situations. You have
a way of looking at going through life as a
journey that you can constantly learn from.
Phoenixes are the best friends to have because
they cheer people up easily.

Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
=====================================

You can try what are you in the link above….

-@

SelfPortraitDay is a nice project on photos where anyone and everyone can get their 7 Days of Fame, no matter how cool or uncool they are. Self portrait day is a nice way to get noticed, and claiming fame for one week! It gives good website traffic too … So what are you waiting for head on to SelfPortraitDay and fill up the form.

I got featured this week.

-@

An answer from Self to the post “Shut the f**k up”, here’s lyrics from my favorite-st Anime,

With my Own words..
==========================
I was able to talk to you for the first time.
You laughed for me.
I was able to talk to you for the first time.
With my own words.
If I spoke to you, you’d think I was a nuisance.
Holding on to that uncertainy, I summonded my courage
I’m not able to talk well, my awkward converation.
You listened politely without tunring your head.
Just like that, I’m up in the clouds.
But you don’t think very much of me, do you?
It’s painful, but…
I was able to talk to you for the first time.
You laughed for me.
I was able to talk to you for the first time.
With my own words.

These are lyrics translated from the 8th Ending Song Naruto , a Japanese Anime whose Fansubs we watch regularly in Campus. You probably have to hear the song to get the exact feel of it. Its sung with such a passion and with a voice so un-melodic that it suits the character of the person who’ll feel these words happening to him, in other words, an Idiot fool, who’ll never give up his way of living life.

Alive and Kicking..
-@

Found this nice poem in one of the TV series, its called Sewer Walking.

Sewer Walking
——————
You and me,
we used to talk
Like a river underground,
the sewer where we used to walk.
The hole at the end
empties out to the pier
Where paperboats disappear
Me, I try to send this note,
Float it like a paper boat,
But paper sinks and words are weak.
I try but I don’t speak
Join together in the silent snow
Turn our faces up to see
Not endless night,
but day
A pier,
And you and me,
talking…

-@

The Merger of the Decade has happened. Adobe takes over Macromedia today, 18th of April, 2005 to become a Mega-Super-Duper-Giant of the Visual Media Industry.
The news is here on both Adobe and Macromedia sites. I am an advance user of both Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and Flash, but to me, Macromedia is a better company, I love the way they do things, I love the tagline “What the web can be” and I love their file sizes. I was seeing Macromedia as a rival to Adobe in the near future, with thier Freehand becoming better and more popular than Adobe’s Illustrator. Adobe has been known to kill small companies and acquire them ( and so is Macromedia) but Adobe more so than Macromedia

The name Macromedia will be erased and the joint thing will be known as Adobe Systems.
Further Reading:

• Adobe and Macromedia Company Profiles (PDF)
• Adobe Invester Relations
• Merger FAQ (PDF)

-@
PS: Thx to Anand for pointing out the above links.

Yesterday I was caught photographing my OWN campus from accross the Lake by a policeman. Now there was an inconspicous sign there in marathi saying that Lake photography is not allowed. The damn fellow wanted my camera for custody or 300 cash without reciept. I guess you all know what option I went for.
Also the day I took the Marine Plaza snap, I was planning to take a snap of Queen’s Necklace, and this BrihannaMumbahi Nagar Palika( Mumbai City Administration) van catches up and says that I am not allowed to take snaps there either and at one end of that 7.5km drive there is a sign which says that. I got off that one saying that you should put those sign at prominent places and not at one end of that 7.5 km stretch, but still that fellow was yelling that I should pay more attention to signs.

Now the main problem is that how are we the Photo-enthusiasts supposed to know about such obscure rules ? In India, I’ve been to a lot of museums who dont have a proper information brochure of collectible standards ready for purchase, but they do have a NO PHOTOGRAPHY rule in application. The same rule applies in Malls and other hangout places.

I dont see whats the problem anyway? I am giving a free advertisement to those who visit my blog, I am only enticing more people to go there and visit the DAMN place. A photograph can replace a 10000 words. What are these guys afraid of ? That the pic will look so yucky that no one will come at all ?? Some places you get to take pictures after paying the local authority, but the question is that that pic is still illegal !!!

I see Tom @ ZoomVienna covering the City of Vienna beautifully. I wish I could do that to Mumbai.

If you want daily life check Zee’s blog. He missed the photobloggies, but he’s good at daily life.

-Thakkar
PS: As a corollary I also suffer from the fear that many of us may be violating many trespassing and such laws unknowingly… So I am just taking it one day at a time and pleading ignorance whenever I can..

Last week, the ever versatile Mumbai-city hosted an exhibition called Putul Yatra 2005, having over 300 Puppets from all over India on Display. It was a rich assortment of different styles and techniques.

This event, like many others, was less publicized and yet was crowded enough with kids and elders alike. Long long ago, when I was in Middle School, and there was no Cable TV, on national channel, they used to air a show called “Potli Baba Ki”. It was a magical disply of never seen before puppetery on TV screen and instantly became a family favorite. I re-lived those magical moments in this exhibition, and collected a lot of trivia on puppets too, which I am documenting here, for you (and for me, lest I forget it some day)

There are 4 basic techniques followed in India: Rod, String, Glove and Shadow. As the name suggests, Rod puppets have rods beneath them on the main body and other sticks attached to hands. It takes 2-4 people to control a single puppet properly depending on the complexity. Likewise, String puppets are controlled using fine strings or wires. Glove puppets though self explainatory, some of them are so huge that 2-3 puppeteers get inside them and operate it from inside (just like those Lion Dance/Dragon dance sequences you see in the Oriental Movies, or the Horse Dancers u see in Rajasthan). While the Rod and Glove style of puppets are operated from below, the string puppets are operated from above.
Shadow puppets are an entirely different category and are operated from behind a semi-transparent backlit screen.

Statewise Description:

Rajasthan
Musical Instruments: Ravanhatha, Daph

Local name: Kathputli ka Khel
Style: String Puppets
The head is carved out of wood and painted, body is made of stuffed rags, and is costumed in long skirt tradational rajasthani attire.

Bengal
Musical Instruments: Violin, Clarinet, Dambaru and Ankle bells

Local Name: Bener putul
Style: Glove Puppets
Heads are made of terracota and they have wooden arms.

Local Name:Daangar Putul
Style:Rod Puppets
Heads and torso are made of wood and are painted in local pata style.

Local Name: Tarer Putul
Style: String Puppets
Made of Shola Pith, a type of soft wood.

Maharashtra
Musical instruments: Tuntune, Dholaki
Local Name: Kalasutri bahulya
Style: String Puppets
Bodies are made of wood and have shoulder joints.

Orissa
Musical Instruments: Jhanj, Jhumaka, Daskathi, Khanjari
Famous Plays: Sakhi Kundehi, Kathi Kundehi, Gopalila, RavanChhaya
Style: Glove Puppets(Sakhi Kundehi) , Rod Puppets(Kathi Kundehi), String puppet(Gopalila) and Shadow Puppets(RavanChhaya)
Heads and Torsos are Carved out of wood for the first 3 styles, Shadowpuppets are always done in Leather.

Trivia:

Uttar Pradesh
Style : Glove Puppets

Assam
Musical Instruments: Dhol, Dotara
Local Name: Putala Naach
Style: String Puppets
Made of Shola Pith. a type of soft wood.

Andhra Pradesh
Local Name: Tolu Bommalata
Style: Shadow Puppets
Made of Leather, unlike the Orissi counterparts, these puppets sport joints and are more flexible.

Kerela
Musical Instruments: Chenda, Sankh, Kurum Kuzhal, Edathalam, Chelenga, Ezhupara, Edakka

Local Name: Pava Kathakali
Style: Glove Puppets
The head and arms are carved out of wood and painted in Kathakali Style

Local Name: Tolpava Kuthu
Style: Shadow Puppets

Tamil Nadu
Local Name: Bomalattam
Style: String and Rod Puppets
Carved out of wood, elaborate costumes and sport light weight wooden jewllery.

Local Name: Tolubomalattam
Style: Shadow Puppets
Made of leather

Karnataka
Musical Intruments: Gejje, Mookh veena, Tala, Maddale

Local Name: Togalu Gombeyatta
Style: Shadow Puppets
Made of Leather

Local Name: Yakshagana Gombeyatta
Style: Rod Puppets
Made of wood and painted, decorated in Yakshagana style

Local Name: Sutrada Gombeyatta
Style: String Puppets
Made of wood and painted, decorated in Yakshagana style

Local Name: Salaki Gombeyatta
Style: String and Rod Puppets
Made of wood and painted, decorated in Yakshagana style
———-

Modern Puppets
Apart from these, there was a beautiful selection of Modern Puppets, made from day to day things like scrubs for Kitchen, spoons, Wool, Utensils and Papier Mache etc which added a new dimension to the puppet world.

All in all, Putul Yatra was an awesome experiance, it happens once every 2 years in Metrocities, 2007 it’ll be in Bangalore, so junta be ready, Mumbaikars who missed it, sorry to say that your next turn will not come in next 10 years. It was fun re-living those moments, Kids today watching Pokemon Dont know what they are missing!!
—————————————————————————————–
Disclaimer: All the information compiled above is from a handout provided by Sangeet Kala Akademi, who were the main organisers of the function. All the puppets belong to them. It was not allowed to take snaps there, but I had clicked these before knowing that so thought might as well put them to good use. No copyright vioaltion is intended, and information is provided as public service. Thank you