Sep 2, 2012

Totally Tagged!


Tags are the perfect excuse when we have nothing interesting to post…Most of you would have done a tag or at least ignored one! If you are new to blogging, don’t get too exited. Tags are a set of few (usually 11) boring questions posed by a blogger. You need to answer them with all earnesty and then tag few more bloggers with the same or alternate questions. As a rule I don’t tag others…but as I got tagged by some enthusiastic ladies, I have to be a good sport…

The first set of questions is from a fellow architect friend Anu. This was pending for quite a long time…so here goes…
  1. What does blogging mean to you? – one of the  means to document a part of my life and times…
  2. How did you get into blogging? – I didn’t have many pastimes during my  Kabul days. I started a blog to pass time!
  3. What subjects do you blog about? – Pls check “Categories” on the sidebar.
  4. Which according to you was the best post? May be this or this (whats your choice?)
  5. How long have you been blogging? From 2005.
  6. Which are your favorite blogs? Refer the links:  Liebster, Sunshine and Versatile bloggers
  1. Name 2 bloggers you are dying to meet? Why just 2? Would love to meet all of you!
  2. What is the most annoying trait that you have come across in the blogoshere? "Word verification" for comments. I hate it...please remove it from your blog…
  3. When met with bloggers block, how do you overcome it? By doing Tag posts ;) 
  4. Where do you get support from as far as blogging is concerned? Fellow bloggers like you…
  5. Where do you see yourself as a blogger  10 years from now? Come back to Ashokism after 10 years to find out for yourself.

The second set of questions is from my friend Meoww (ya, I too wish I knew her name)…so here goes…
1. What does blogging mean to you? – answered in previous tag ( I think this is the most popular tag question)
2. Name the person who influenced you the most – Ilayaraja thro' his Music!
3. Which is the last book you read? Check this 
4. Which are the subjects you hated most in school? –Chemistry
5. If you were to become a sports celebrity overnight, who wud you choose ?- None
6. Name your dream travel destination – Himalayas  (India) ; Alps (abroad)
7. Describe your job briefly- Designing built environment!
8. What is your alternative career option? – Archeologist?
9. Do you really think the world will come to an end after Dec 2012? – Yes, it has to come to an end at some point of time.
10. What are the things you would like to do before you die? – build my very own house in my own terms.
11. Your views on television soaps? – Great! They give me 2 hours of disturbance free time everyday at home :)  !!

Phew! 

Aug 29, 2012

Capture the Colors!

Jeevan has invited me to participate in the Capture the Colors contest  by TravelSupermarket. I had gone thro' my Travel archives and randomly picked a few snaps that I hope will do justice to the colors.I have tried to keep the photographs as varied as possible...Let me know what you think...

WHITE
  White Winter , Kabul
Temple at Bellandur, Bangalore
Young Afghans enjoying butter milk, clicked on the way to Baghram air base

YELLOW

an yellow house near Madurai...
a lady with hay near Dharmapuri...
a fruit seller on the streets of Shanghai...

GREEN

a scene near Valayapatti...

a scene via Madurai to Karaikudi...
green pond...Nemam temple


RED
Kabul River...a unique idea in red!

a road side shot , Kabul...
Red Meat! Food stall in a Singapore mall...


BLUE
Sankee Tank at evening , Bangalore
The blue stillness of Qargha Lake, Afghanistan
Diwali celebrations in Singapore... 
I invite my blog friends Sandhya , Kavi , Vineeta, Meoww and Shilpa.
The competition rules here.

Aug 25, 2012

Aug 22, 2012

Liebster Award!

Mr.VGK has done it again! My Architecture blog has been passed on the "Liebster Award" by him! Thank you sir!
As "my architecture" is strictly reserved for my Architectural posts, Iam posting the award in Ashokism.
I was always wondering what this word "Liebster" meant. I guessed that its German and google translator helped me to realize that it means "Favorite" ! (Lieb = love, dear)

Now as per tradition, let me pass on this award to 13 active fellow bloggers who fall under my "Liebster" list...



1.Hilda Muxo Klinger - a very passionate artist!
2.Chitra - a fantastic photographer and a talented jewellery designer 
3.Arti - Her yatra dairy is a must read for travel lovers
4.Bob - An awesome wildlife photographer
5.Padmaja - a wonderfully talented painter ! 
6.Nora - a  painter who has set a style of her own!
7.Boo - a proud mom and a blogger of substance and wit!
8.Deepa - she has an opinion on everything....
9.Ashwathy - a creative photographer!
10. Carmen - an enthusiastic photographer and traveler.
11.Rita vaseli -  transforming emotions into water color.
12.Carol - there's always thyme to cook!
13.Meoww- an enthu photographer, doodler and cheerful blogger!

Apart from the above list, the bloggers from my list of Sunshine award and Versatile blogger award automatically fall in my Liebster list!

Now all of you can either pass on the award to your favorite blogs or keep it to yourself.

The actual secret behind my exercise is to introduce some amazing new blogs to my fellow bloggers and readers...

Aug 17, 2012

Abstract by an Architect...

Art by Ashok - 1995
a personal favorite of mine...fellow Architects might relate to this ....

Aug 1, 2012

Sunshine!

Mr.Vai Gopalakrishnan has done a humongous job sharing this award with 108 fellow bloggers.
Thank you Sir. 
Blogger awards actually don't mean anything. But the fact that a fellow blogger appreciates you , remembers you and feels that your blog is worth his time makes these awards special. Sunshine blogger award goes to those blogs that are a source of optimism, color and zing! I pass this award to the following friends who always bring a smile to me and brighten my day with their contagious positive energy.



Jul 26, 2012

Awake...

Photo: Nuwar elya,Sri lanka 2004
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




 
 
The City sleeps while I stay awake
On a winter night – It’s half past one;
What do I do for heaven’s sake?
Solitary nights are no more fun
A mosquito sings on my right ear
I clap my hands and blow my palm;
The dogs are busy- their growl I hear;
I shut the window to regain my calm.

I surf the TV channels in discontent,
From rerun movies to tele-shopping;
Bored with the repeated advertisement
I grab the remote – more tele-hopping!
What’s in sport? – Let me see – Golf!
Whoever thought that that’s a game?
The other’s showing yachting in Gulf-
My view on that is just the same.

I decide to watch the late night news-
Rape and murder, quakes and flood!
Repeated headlines, views and reviews
My eyes are already red as blood.
Stocks are falling, the market’s bad;
I turn it off ‘fore I fall into their trap;
The lizard on the wall must think I am mad,
To sit at this hour and watch such crap.

[From my archives]
060911

Jul 18, 2012

Express Estate Sketches...

the Octagonal smoking room

The rear side...

Parapet detail
These are few surviving pencil sketches that I had made for our Building Conservation project during my Masters program in the year 1998....This heritage structure was once the Madras Club inside the property famously known as the Express Estate in Chennai. A shopping Mall (Express Avenue) has now replaced this heritage structure ..