New York Seen Through My Eyes- Part 1

                      The Central Park New York City

The Central park boasts several lakes, theaters, ice rinks, fountains, tennis courts, baseball fields, many playgrounds and other facilities. It is also home to the Central Park Zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Especially during the weekends, when cars are not allowed into the park, Central Park is a welcome oasis in this hectic city.

Central Park is one of those places that make New York such a great place to live. The huge park, 843 acres large, is located in the center of Manhattan. Its design is an example for city parks around the world.

Central Park is situated in Manhattan between 59th and 110th street and between Fifth and Eight Ave.

Being a Saturday, the park had lots of Aerobics classes going  on, I wanted to take one picture near one of the classes, but a passerby came along and and offered to take a picture of us together: looks like we both needed some Aerobics class!
I love outdoor Aerobics class.

The crown jewel of Central Park, is one of the most famous and universally loved fountains in the world : The  Bethesda Fountain.

Emma Stebbins ( the Sculptor): the center piece of the "Angel of the waters" was the only sculpture commissioned as a part of the original design of the Park naming her the first woman to receive commission of a major work of art in New York City.

The idea of the "Angel Of Waters" comes from the gospel of Saint John, Chapter 5, the story of an angel bestowing healing powers on the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Beneath the 8 foot gilded bronze statue are 4 smaller 4 foot figures symbolising Temperance, Purity, Health and Peace. The base of the fountain was designed by Calvert Vaux with detail work by Jacob Wrey Mould. Sculpted in 1868 and unveiled in 1873.

The Plaza, a timeless landmarked New York Hotel.
Central Park 5th Avenue, endless shopping- this is New York City!!!

The Rockefeller Building

From the top of the Rock

The Rockefeller Building:

Rockefeller Center - known as a 'city in the city' - is an exceptional example of civic planning. All buildings share a common design style, Art Deco, and are connected to each other via an underground concourse, the Catacombs. The complex is nevertheless well integrated in the city of New York, especially along Fifth Avenue. 

There are in total three levels open to the public, including the roof terrace. The first is on the 67th floor and is completely covered. 

The observation deck on the 69th floor has glass windshields while the 70th floor is completely open to the elements, offering visitors a fabulous 360 degree view. 

 View from the top of the Rock

The famous Radio City Music Hall : One of the greatest Art Deco structures ever built, is one of the most well known landmark of New York City. Opened on December 27th 1932, with a variety show it screened the first film with Barbara Stanwyck in " The Bitter Tea Of General Yen" on January 11th 1933.

The Flatrion Building that you can see behind me, was completed in 1902, and was the first building New York with a steel frame. It also has the honour of the only surviving skyscraper in New York City.
This was our 2nd day in New York , we had taken a local tour of the city, for there were some places for which we felt it was better if we went through the local tour bus. Our tour guide was very good, funny and very knowledgeable. But, the AC in our bus was not up to the mark and although it was on and making lot of noise it didn't serve  the purpose of keeping us cool. In fact I had read in the internet that this particular tour bus was not very reliable as far as the AC was concerned, but then one has to bear such things as part of life which seems to be the same as in India, but only difference is we don't make a big fuss about it. But otherwise as I told earlier the tour was pretty good.

The Empire State Building 5th Avenue

The Empire State Building:

Built during the Great Depression, the Empire State Building symbolizes America's limitless potential. Built in just 18 months, it was the world's tallest building from 1931-1972.

The shape of the Empire State Building was inspired by its developer, John Jakob Raskob, who is said to have pulled a pencil from his drawer, held it up to his architect (William Lamb), and asked, " Bill how tall can you make it so that it won't fall down?"

The top of the building is lit up at night in different colors to celebrate various holidays. For a long time, after September 11,2001, it was continuously lit, red, white and blue. After the 09.11.2001, it regained its title as the tallest building in New York. This again will be surpassed by one World Trade Center in 20013.

Source (Skyscraper Source Media Inc.)

The Empire State Building is a legend and remains a testament to the American fortitude and ingenuity.

Ananth captured this beautiful building: The Empire State Building in our camera.

Behind me you can see the Trump Tower: so many times I  have seen people being fired by Donald Trump and walking out of this building to the waiting Yellow cab in his famous show " Apprentice"

Some fun pictures on the streets of NY
Since our Hotel was centerally located, we just walked and walked and saw  all the places of interest. It was so much fun, not realizing how the time went by, and because it was bright for a very long time. If my husband was not there to remind me of the time, I would still be roaming the streets of New York...
More to come about this lively city in the next blog.

All About Chairs: Modern Classic Stylish Chairs.

Modern Classic chairs: will they ever go out of style, I am sure they will not. Designed by the mid-  century modern era gods of furniture designs, these chairs were the epitome of innovation when they were first conceived and still top the charts today as the greatest for their resilience and timeless design.

These classic designer chairs have a unique way of transforming a boring and ordinary room into something extraordinary: adds drama to a space which had nothing to really speak about.

But the trick is to use them correctly.

The Classic Egg Chair: was designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the interior design of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Germany.

Its steel frame, high curved back and rounded bottom gives it great volume and works well in open modern spaces with high ceilings, like a loft or a library. It also looks good in a room like this.

Swan Chair: It a cousin of the Egg chair conceived by the same designer for the same hotel in 1958. It is the most influential of its time for its seamless curvature and has defined the Retro style which remains popular even till today.

The Swan chair with its vintage swagger has wide arms and a low back which sits perfectly as marvelous side or lounge chair. You even have the Swan Sofa, the perfect solution for stylish living rooms or hallways.

The Ball Chair- Eero Aarnio
Designed in 1963, this Retro Modern Ball Chair also known as the Globe Chair still looks like something out of the future! Eero Aarnio created the prototype for what would be the most unconventional chair of its time which started a new line of fiber glass seating. Originally, the chair was geared towards industrial design and today these reproductions also function as home furniture all over the globe.
The chair works well in any open living space or lounge space to create a playfully relaxing atmosphere.
Another version of this chair created by the same designer is the bubble chair. Take a look, they are all simply gorgeous!

It looks so cozy and stylish at the same time!

The see through swing and the Barcelona chair in the  background: lovely...

Note the use of clear fiber glass to let the light in from all angles for a weightless effect.

The Tulip Chair- Saarinen

This sexy Tulip Chair is famous for its curvaceous impression it made way back in1956. It made history with its pedestal base as the first one legged chair. It is a pure expression of modernism.
The Tulip Chair looks beautiful as dining chair with minimal modern furnishings and a table that is subtle enough to let the chair do all the talking. Well I like the figurines and the candles at the center of the table too.

 Barcelona Chair- Mies van der Rohe (German Chair)
If you think your bum is worthy of a seat fit for the king, you might consider parking it in a Barcelona Chair. This chair caused a sensation which lasted for nearly 8 decades. Today it is still a "must have"
piece  in the homes of wealthy aficionados, as well as architects and designers. This chair was even honoured with the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977.

This beautiful red Barcelona chair belongs to my daughter( I am sure it must have cost her a lot).

 Originally designed before the advent of stainless steel and seamless ground welding, the frame was designed to be bolted together. However in 1950, with development of stainless steel van der Rohe redesigned the chair with a seamless metal frame. Cowhide replaced the expensive pigskin used in the original chair. But other than that, the Barcelona chair manufactured today are exactly as they were in 1929. Modern. Timeless. In a word perfect.

There are so many classic modern chairs, my favorites are the Swan chair, the Ball chair and  the Barcelona chair. Which is your favorite chair?
Let me know.

The Dream Catchers

The Legend of the Dream Catcher "A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space.  It was beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother. Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away.  One day as she was watching him, her grandson came in.  "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted, glancing at the spider. He stomped over to the spider,  picked up a shoe and went to hit it. "No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him." "Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?" asked the little boy.   The old lady smiled, but did not answer. When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her  for saving his life.  He said to her,  "For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web.  You have admired my work.  In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift." He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.  Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window.   "See how I spin?" he said.  "See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams.  Only good dreams will go through the small hole.  This is my gift to you.  Use it so that only good dreams will be remembered.  The bad dreams will become hopelessly entangled in the web."  Beyond - A lullaby Sleep well sweet child Don't worry your head Your Dream Catcher is humming Above your bed Listen so softly I know you can hear The tone of beyond Close to your ear Love is alive And living in you Beyond all your troubles Where good dreams are true Dreamcatchers:  are an authentic American  Indian tradition,  from the Ojibay(Chippewa) tribe. The people would tie  sinew strands  in a web around a small round or tear-shaped  frame - in a somewhat similar pattern to how they  tied webbing for Ojibway snowshoes--and  hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm to protect  sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that  the bad dreams will get caught in the web. The Dreamcatcher allegedly helps us remember  our dreams. It is regarded by some as a serious tool  that is much more than a decorative ornament.  The opening in the center determines the volume that you are asking to receive and parallels the changes  that will occur in your life. Hang the dreamcatcher near the place where you sleep,  on the wall, or perhaps from a lampshade or bedpost.  During my recent trip to the US, I came across   the Dream Catcher, and my son told me the  story behind the Dream Catcher, and I was really fascinated by it, and I bought one. I also read  about it in the internet, and  I also found some  interesting videos about the philosophy of the  native  American, and found, that it is no different  from our own philosophy: it reinforces the universal belief that we are all one. Although we all know about the Native Americans, still it feels good to go back and refresh ourselves with their history, their struggles, and their determination to keep their identity intact. It shows us we may lose everything, but nobody can take our spirit. Happy New Year !!

Awesome Clouds Again

One of the most satisfying experiences I know is fully to appreciate an individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset. When I look at a sunset...I don't find myself saying, 'Soften the orange a litle more on the right hand corner, and put a bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color...' I don't try to control a sunset. I watch it with awe as it unfolds.

Carl R. Rogers

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

Rabindranath Tagore

These are pictures of clouds taken from our terrace. Every once in a while the magnificent colors of the clouds and their formation, both unusual and beautiful never ceases to amaze me.

So here I was clicking away whatever beauty I could capture.....

Aren't they really beautiful?
What forms can you imagine, I would love to know.

Dolls Of South India

This a beautiful  elegantly carved Elephant is made out of a single piece of cedar wood.
It caught Ananth's eye and he had to buy it. We bought it in VTI in Chennai

I love to collect all kinds of dolls. There are so many artifacts, collectibles which I like to display in our house: our house is  full of them, there is hardly any place to display all of them. But we never stop buying them. Some of them are expensive, although most of them are very affordable. Fridge magnets are another thing I am crazy about, for they are the only things we can afford to buy during our visits abroad. So here are some of the things bought by us during our trips to Hyderabad, Chennai :

These are the famous dolls of Kondapally in Andhra Pradesh South India

This  is Andaal , the famous poetess whose Thirupavai is still sung by  people all over the south during  December- January

I also have quite a few wooden toys from Channapatna in Karnataka : the toys that captured the heart of Mictchell Obama.

There is the colorful train,  (this the 3rd train, I had prettier ones, but guests liked them so much, that they just begged me to give it to them. I thought I could get the same but I am yet to find them)the merry-go- round....

This is my Fridge Magnet collection from various countries: some were bought by me and some are gifts.

The Cycle you see on the shelf is made of wire, they are so cute and so cheap, I also have a Rickshaw.

Above  the kitchen chimney too I have one Giant Wheel from Channapatna, these are just a few I have so many of them.

The dancing pair was gift from my maid for my 43rd birthday. I really treasure such gifts.

 This again is the Dasaavatar from Kondapally Andhra Pradesh

The Ten Incarnations of the Lord Vishnu.
The dancing Ganeshas was bought  some twenty five years ago from Poombuhar Bangalore.


Here's wishing you all the joys of the seasons: Merry Christmas!!!

Ring out the old, Ring in the New

Come each new day,  I keep postponing the long overdue chore of clearing out the cupboards, overflowing now with ageing and in consequence ill fitting clothes, which have not been able to keep up with my own growth over the years. These are the clothes now waiting to be discarded, given away to deserving souls who could and would use it joyfully with the least bit of fuss.  Llittle by little, one at a time, I had  cleared and collected over a period of months quite a big bundle, wrapped up in an old bedsheet, stowed in one corner of our enclosed balcony,  awaiting carriage to its final destination.

My task is not over by any means :  there was quite a lot more in the several cupboards that needed to be cleared, but I didn't have the heart to part with my close companions of many years past. I have so many dresses that don't fit me now , but  somehow I keep living in the dream that one day I will surely be able to fit back into them.  But alas ! for the past 2 to 3 years I have only managed to add on a few kilos  and no amount of exercise or a  strict dietary regimen consisting only of health foods has been able to win me the battle of my bulge.

Reluctantly I gave up my hopes of ever reverting back to my previous size, and boldly decided to give away all the dresses that I had not used in the last 2 years. The saddest part was that they all looked pretty new : anyway there was a job to be done with gritted teeth and girded loins.

Once I started the sorting out business,  it looked like it was going to take ages, so I decided to forego my regular exercising over the weekend.  For 2 whole days, working tirelessly, I kept clearing everything from the overflowing cupboards,  while also simultaneously keeping my wardrobe neat and in order.  It seemed like I had done hours and hours of strenuous exercise,  although I had scarcely moved a few paces from my spot.

Finally, after nearly two days of backbreaking work, I finally had a few more big bundles of clothes as company for the other older bundles, waiting patiently to be carted away to destinations as yet unknown.

It felt so good, almost a cathartic feeling to be rid of all the unwanted things.  I don't know what makes us hold on to old things that have become practically useless for us. Why can't we just give them away as soon as we realize that they will never be used by us ( and this includes husbands also, hehe ) ?

I know they’ll have an  afterlife in some other place, serving somebody else.  Once the items were gone, I paused to think how I felt : I was at once very happy and very relieved as though a great big load had been lifted off my back  and I congratulated myself for being able to let go.  This little act made me realize that there comes a time when you have to let go a little in return for a little slice of peace. 

You can’t be skinny and be healthy at the same time, and acknowledging  this fact is important for mental peace and balance.  And that means not looking back with sadness at your once slender figure and the clothes you draped it in. The important thing is for you to stop loving the clothes that don’t love you.   Having a wardrobe that fits you makes more sense. Even if your body has experienced a small, but healthy change (in other words, if you’ve gained a little weight that was unintentional, but is still perfectly healthy), it’s worth having a wardrobe that works with you, rather than against you.

 I also think it is important for all of us to remember that our bodies are not immutable.  They develop with us. They adapt puberty, childbearing, and menopause. They reflect growth. So, give your body the freedom to evolve.  But if for some reason old clothes are holding you back from self-acceptance, then do yourself a favor and plunge headlong into some spring cleaning. Does it mean defeat?
 No-it signifies growing up,  embracing change, embracing the inevitable and also embracing the peace within.

Pasta for Lunch

Whole wheat pasta with tomato, garlic, onion and capsicum.

Today we decided we would have pasta for lunch.
My husband is very good at making pasta, and he was kind enough to make it today.
It is a very simple dish and doesn't take much time to prepare.
To go with it we had some cut apple and some nuts.

Low-fat cheese

No good meal can be complete without a good  wine.

 So here it is : our for lunch today.
Cheers!!!

Roses for turning 52. (8th December was my birthday)

Trip to Vizag

How beautiful the city looks with backdrop of the setting Sun

The History of Visahakapatanam
According to history the city was named after the God of Valour 'Vishaka'. It was part of the Kalinga kingdom, under Asoka's rule in 260B.C. It passed on later to the Andhra Kings of 'Vengi'. After this Pallavas, Chola and Ganga dynasties ruled the city. In the 15th century, Vishakapatnam became part of the Vijaynagar Empire.

View from for the hotel window

View from the window of the Taj Gateway

The Europeans, the Dutch, the French and the English established themselves from the 17th century onwards and used this as a major trading center to export textiles, tobacco, indigo etc. This coast played a major role during the reign of Asaf Jahais and Golcondas. 
Vizag is built along the seashore, of the Bay of Bengal, and is bounded and broken by the bold headland called the Dolphin's Nose (357m. above sea level). The city boasts of a beautiful beach with a long beach road ending nearly at Bheemapatinam on the Northern end. The surrounding area is dominated in the west by the well- forested  western ghats and farther east is drained by numerous rivers, like the Godavari and Indravati.

The city is surrounded by three hills, each of which has a shrine dedicated to different religion: Venkateswara temple on the Venkateswara Konda, Baba Ishaq Madina Dargah on the Dargha Konda, and the Church of Virgin Mary on Rose Hill.

These fisher-women were quite happy to be photographed: they seem to be liking the unexpected break from the routine.You can make out from their smiles.

Waves hitting against the rocks, I simply love the sea, can spend hours here...

It is really wonderful to watch the waves gushing in with such force

  The lovely Rushikoda Beach in Vizag with golden sands is the best beach in Vizag. However instead of going to the regular beach, as it is very crowded, it is better to drive a few miles further down the road and find some secluded beaches like this. Here we found some lovely and  very friendly fisher- women, who were not only excited to see visitors on this isolated beach, but also readily agreed to pose for pictures.

The Kailasgiri Hills and the Ropeway

Known as the Thomas' Folly in the colonial era Kailasgiri is situated at an altitude of 360ft. A charming hillock on the sea front bordering a small valley within the city. The magnificient statues of Shiva & Parvati are illuminated at night and is worth seeing.

Boats, boats all sailing calmly...

A Ropeway that takes people from the foot of the hill to the top of the hill and back. It is an added attraction to this wonderful place. Sitting in the cable car you can have some of the magnificent views of the city and the Bay

The view from the top is mind- blowing

The park gives an enchanting view of the sea, beaches, lush green forests and the ever bustling city. Kailasagiri is a glider's paradise with excellent gliding facilities.

                               INS Kursura

The INS Kursura was commissioned at Riga. erstwhile USSR on 18th December 1969 under the command of A. Auditto. The Submarine embarked on her maiden passage from Balrisk on 20th February 1970. The induction of Kursura show cased the augumentation of the 3rd dimension of the Indian Navy. She was the corner stone of foundation of the Indian Navy Submarine Arm. During her 31 glorious year of service, the submarine traversed 73,500 nautical miles participating in all kinds of Naval operations. It played a vital role in the 1971 Indo- pak war. She was the pioneer submarine extending good will and harmony through visits and flag showing missions to other nations. In her vast life span, INS Kursura changed hands 13 times, the last commanding officer being Cdr KM Sreedharan. INS Kursura was decommissioned on 27th February 2001.

After that, Kursura has been converted into a submarine museum on the RK Beach Vizag.

The INS Kursura against the backdrop of the Bay Of Bengal in Vizag.

Inside INS Kursura

The best time to visit Vizag is from November to February with moderate temperature and little precipitation.