|
|
| Friday, 1-Apr-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
Pristine Beauty
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 29-Mar-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Faces Through The Ages - 8. Rottach Egern
|
|
I have been very slow in updating these entries about the Egern. Since I still have a couple of entries to go, I will now speed up. For this set, I have chosen people. In this case, while you can 'see' the faces of some of the people, instead of focussing on the people, I have chosen to put them in the context of the scenery. In the last entry in this series, I have reduced the man to a little blob, as it were.
While, I am a great believer in the dignity of the human spirit, irrespective of material wealth, I believe even more strongly in the fact that we cannot exist without nature. We are a part of nature and, we only exist in the context of the natural forces that surround us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 22-Mar-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Some General Shots in Rottach Egern
|
|
This is really the second one in the series of Rottach Egern. Another 4 entries, I think, should do the trick and, should serve as a reminder of the winter days that, presumably have gone and, will return again!!
We have spring. So, it's nice and sunny one day (we had a great weekend) and, cold, windy and rainy the next. And, finally I have succumbed to the flu! I feel it coming. Originally, I thought that the body ache was due to some intense badminton and, I was depressed. I thought that I had become unfit. More accurately, I thought I had become more unfit!  Now, I know it is the flu and, I am still depressed, 'cause I will become more unfit and, my partner will whack the pants off me next Sunday.
The great news is that, in the second cricket test match, India beat Pakistan by a large margin. More power to them!!
So, where is Rottach Egern? To answer a general query, it is about an hours drive from Munich. In some direction. The Lord alone knows which direction! It's at the foot of the Alps and, fairly close to Austria, I have been told. It is a tourist resort and, fairly popular in Germany. In summer, for hiking and, in winter for cross country skiing.
And, you need good shoes in winter. They don't do a great job of removing the ice from the roads and, it can be slippery. Thanks to a timely warning from Renate  , I managed to avoid leaving an imprint of my (hem) derriere (?)/backside(?) on the roads of Germany!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, 17-Mar-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Chinese Paintings in Rottach Egern
|
|
I have been a bit tardy! Well, the next 6 to 7 entries are going to be centred around Rottach Egern and, by the end of it all, all of you will be upto your necks in shots of snow filled landscapes!
These pictures are, as you can see, subtle changes in composition around, essentially, one view of Rottach Egern. I shot these from across the lake. I can't spell it well- Tegernsee lake or, something. I was using an 80 - 300 mm lens. Closer to the 300 mm focal length. I was pretty fascinated by the monochromatic effect that was produced by the snow, the trees and, the buildings.
When I showed these pictures to my Chinese colleagues, they likened them to the effect that Chinese painters sometimes try to achieve while painting Chinese scrolls. Especially, in their depictions of some of the famous landscapes like Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) of the Anhui Province. These landscapes are, of course, nothing like Huang Shan!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 11-Mar-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Sleepless in Rottach Egern.
|
 |
|
Sleepless - 1
|
|
 |
|
Sleepless - 2
|
|
|
I just got a computer. Well, not my original one but, I changed to a 1 year old IBM T40. Not too bad. So, it's going to take me a few days to organise my photographs of Rottach Egern. In the meantime, this entry is kind of inspired by a question that was popped by a young lady with the Dots. What's the first thing that you do in the morning?
This was one of those rare trips when I have been affected by jet lag. On my return, I could not sleep until 4 am and, the first morning I was in Rottach Egern, I woke up at 2 am, 3 am, 4 am and 5 am. Finally, in disgust, I positioned my camera on some books, angled the lens with an ash tray ( I don't smoke, by the way), took a deep breath and, clicked the shutter.
On my return, I did read a best seller, after many years. Currently, I am reading 'The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire' by Gibbon but, this was 'The Da Vinci Code'. And, even though there seem to be many factual errors, as some of my subsequent internet research seems to prove, it did pose some interesting questions. The book is weak, by the way.
But, we are all fascinated by religion and, really, what is religion? It is man's perception of what God's word is. Fact is - we have never met God. So, how can we say, this is HIS word? if God is a HE or a SHE, that is!! Is religion power play? Much of what has happened in the world seems to indicate so. Whether it is Bush chasing the Muslims, the Hindus and Muslims chasing each other, the Hindus chasing the Buddhists, whether it is us driving out 'pagan' religion or, whether Da Vinci actually kept a big secret! Who knows??
So, whether you are sleepless in Seattle, Shanghai or, Rottach Egern, sleeplessness is a great time to cogitate on the meaning of life and, to ask yourself why you were born in the first place!!
These are not great pics, by the way!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 26-Feb-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Will Be Back Soon
|
|
I went to Rottach Egern, near Munich recently. Thanks to some timely advice from Renate, i took the appropriate shoes. Lovely, snowy landscapes. But, my laptop, on which I have stored the photos, has crashed. Something called a 'fan error'. So, as you can see, I am not one of those IT savvy Indians!!
Hopefully, it won't be too long a wait before it is repaired! 
And, I will be able to put up photos from Rottach Egern. Here's to waiting. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 21-Feb-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Faces Through The Ages - 7.Three Faces of Loneliness.
|
 |
|
The Sad Man
|
|
 |
|
The Old Man
|
|
 |
|
The Mad Man
|
|
|
"Loneliness cries deep from my soul,
Keeps trying to tell me about a world,
Growing so cold"
........ from the song "Loneliness" by Grand Funk Railroad.
This is the final instalment of my "all alone" series, as it were. Those of you who did see the last entries, would have seen the one about people in Hong Kong and, how we can be all alone, even when surrounded by people. We shut people out and, retreat into our own inner space. The old man in Dalian, was enjoying his solitude and, although he was alone, he was part of the outside world but, enjoying it all alone.
These three men seemed, to me, to be lonely. I have two pics of the Sad Man. One where he is sitting there alone but, I figured that this one is more effective. The woman, who is obviously not feeling lonely, seemed to set of his loneliness. I assume he is sad but normally, in sadness we can be extremely lonely.
And what about the Old Man, who no one cares for? Left alone in the street to fend for himself. That is lonely indeed.
Finally, the Mad Man. Madness is the ultimate loneliness. You are alone with your own loneliness. I think Pink Floyd's song "Brain Damage' expressed this beautifully.
Loneliness cries deep from from a lonely person's soul.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 8-Feb-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Gong Xi Fa Cai
|
|
Today is the start of Chinese New Year. And, we have 6 days off, starting today. The Weather Gods do not seem to be too happy, however, and we've had almost two weeks of rain and gloomy weather. And, more to follow. Still, that's cool. I can hibernate!
I won't give you the literal meaning of Gong Xi Fa Cai but, it means, in general, best wishes to you on your (present/future) good fortune. It's a wish that you have good fortune in the coming year.
I will track your fotopages but, I will probably not add anything for the next 10 days or so.
So, all the best to all of you for the New Year.
[b]Gong Xi Fa Cai.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 7-Feb-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Faces Through The Ages - 6. Solitude in Dalian
|
|
This is the last set of pictures from Dalian. Despite my threats, no pictures of tall, good looking girls!!
A few entries ago, I had put up some pictures that I had taken in Hong Kong (by the way, how do you create a link to another entry?), the dominant theme was aloneness.
This time, it is solitude. I felt that this old gent deserved an entry all to himself. He sat there, impassively, while people played mah jong or, whatever, around him. He was complete in himself. I could not read his mind. Perhaps, he was thinking of lunch, perhaps he was looking at me clicking him and thinking "Up yours, buster", perhaps he was simply enjoying his own solitude.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 2-Feb-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Faces Through The Ages - 5. An Afternoon in Dalian
|
|
In the shadow of these great buildings at the ZhongShan Square in Dalian, were these people enjoying the afternoon in Dalian. Gossiping, playing cards or, as the security guard was, going about their daily business. The ordinariness of daily life.
Finally, there was this old couple, sitting together in the afternoon. Togetherness and companionship. I figure that, ultimately, this is what love and marriage is all about. Of course, that's not all but, when we are too old for some of the fun things, it's companionship and togetherness.
|
|
|
|
|
Wonderful 
these are very good 
