Plays of light...

One thing that has always fascinated me is the play of light when it falls on water or crystals or anything for that matter. Yes , the laws of reflection and refraction, can always explain these light effects but at the end of the day... its the show, the sparkle, the dazzle that gets me!! Beauty is meant to be admired, not analyzed..

When I took up photography (er..mobile photography), I figured I would focus on these plays of light but ...there is so much beauty around that I simply cannot limit myself to just one field.. Having said that, I will be putting up or trying to put up lot of pictures which showcase these 'Plays of Light' as well as other photographs which I really really really like!

For instance, see the below pic .. all gold..its pretty obvious that it was taken on water but what I like is the reason for the gold color... and no, I don't mean the science behind the colour!!

You see , the light is actually reflected off the gold glass in the building as seen below.

What is even more interesting is the fact that this pic was taken around 4 in the eve only and not even during sunset. So how come the water looks dark?? Now, that adds to the complexity. This next picture was taken immediately after the above one, just to show you what I mean..it was not all that late and the sky was still bright blue.

Now, this is what I call a play of light! I was actually on a dhow cruise with friends and we were all rather preoccupied inside. The flash of gold caught my eye and brought out my mobile in record time. Well, I did back inside immediately as well.. so no more pix of the day!!

Oh! The Trials n tribulations of being a new driver (kinda!!)

 

Sooo.hello again! yea yea I know, its been a long time..a lot has happened. I finally applied for and got my license and it has been a tumultuous ride...

So, this is going to be my attempt to get back to writing. Its high time and I enjoy it too much to completely let it go even if I'm drowning in my list of to do items.

Back to the point. I got my license after 4 attempts (whew!!) in June. I did try a couple of Udrive cars around, it was nice but I wasnt able to completely settle in as there seemed to be minor variations in each (minor for experienced people - not me) . For me, these minor issues were actually major major issues. Even the position of the window button could set me off!!

Hence a massive hunt was initiated for THE car. Now, I m not actually a techy person, so I would not actually be able to talk abt rpm or horsepower or mileage or whatever. I only hoped the car would be any color but white or black. Lol! I can see your thoughts go -Lame!! Well, we did go through many options from Toyota Corolla to Kia Sportage to Ford Ecosport to so so much more! I got exhausted and did the best thing possible - Left the whole matter to Allah and belived that He would guide my husband to my destined car!!

N voila!! We are now the happy owners of  a Mitsubishi Lancer -  a GT. (if you dont know what GT is, please Google it!! I did too) and guess what I have named her - Ms Tide . Why? Coz she s white!! If you have ever seen a Tide ad, you will know what I mean.

Well this series , which I hope to post on time will be my learning lessons with Tide. 

P.S to anyone wondering why the car in the pic is red, its not mine!!

Momma's guilt..

Every mom knows how precious time with her child can be... the fun, the games, the first steps, and the list goes on...

This does not mean that we mommies can go on without a break..we all experience fatigue, we could all do with a quiet moment, and potty training may not be the best entertainment ever ..you get the picture..its not all picture perfect with laughing kids and forever fresh mommas as we see in ads and movies (though we wish...)

I love my girls and we do have a lot of fun together. However, as a working mom, who spends close to 13 hours outside the home, I have to sometimes swallow a large dose of guilt. I call this the mommy guilt and I feel that this 'Momma guilt' is something many can relate to...

I miss so much of their lives... missed my pre-schooler's learning curve in teasing and pranking ..miss the time spent listening to what happened at school and daycare..miss holding her when she is not doing well and needs 'momma'.. We know it but feel the pinch each time. I could not go for my younger daughter's very first school admission interview and had to get a regular update from my hub who had accompanied her to her 'new' school.

The guilt is there when the doctor looks at me and tells me what precautions I need to take for her all day when I know I ll only be passing the info to my babysitter. The guilt is there when my elder one needs a favor or snack but looking at tired and cranky mommy , swallows her words. The guilt is there when I leave for work while she is sniffling with the cold, looking forlornly at me. While I could take off for comparatively worse health problems, I know the next cold cough season is only a month or two away and hence I can't take off each time.The house is a mess and probably will stay a mess until my 'free time'.

I know its only a matter of time before my girls get used to it and then they will be independent but for me, will I get used to it? Will I regret it later? This definitely does not mean that I want to stay at home but somehow, I can't help feel that pinch..that guilt. Do I envy stay at home mothers? Of course not..I have been at both ends and have experienced that feel too. There are advantages, there are disadvantages.

Do I think I would be a better parent if I could stay at home? Not necessarily. Does my guilt want to make me give up all my hobbies and passions in favor of more mum-child time? Definitely not. I guess what I need is a balance- between work and home and hobby. The child grows up seeing the parents and learns from it. Independence, decision making and a variety of skill sets start early, but momma's guilt stays..

Learning to be a mom

Every parent knows that raising a child has its ups and downs. There are so many books and articles which are supposed to help you... I went through so many of them and came to the idea of the perfect mom...lets not forget the advice we get from well meaning relative and friends.

We were supposed to be patient, creative, the perfect role model, etc etc etc.. Our perfect children would learn from our perfect behavior not only with them but also with our spouses, our parents, our in laws, our family , our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, people we meet on the road, people who slip into our parking slots, people who are having a bad day, and so on and on..

Lets get realistic..we are not perfect..perfection depends upon perspective!! We are human and our behavior, if nothing else, depends on our state of mind, our state of stress, our health and a million other things. While I am truly grateful for all the advice, please do not be offended if I didn't follow them all!!

More often than not, the whining of the child comes at the worst moment - basically the straw which breaks the camel's back. The stress explodes and we react on the child or sometimes it implodes in ourselves which has its own sets of consequences. Late nights with a crying baby or even with a baby which is wide awake is not easy. I should know.. I have had experiences with 2 girls, both of whom did not know the meaning of night or sleep. Even their day time sleep was extremely less when compared to the childcare books I had pored over...

Sitting up with my second one, I realized I had to do something before I went totally bonkers and I figured crochet was a good bet. First it was a quiet activity and second it was cheap. I put Youtube videos on silent and followed those superquick fingers with the pace of a tortoise. It took time but I got the hang of it (yay!! ) I got onto baby projects and made hats, sweaters, etc. I was in love with crochet. To me those balls of yarn are like scoops of ice cream to an ice lover!!

I have 2 pretty girls and crochet gave me the start into creativity. The sweater above that my little doll is wearing was one of my first projects (don't mind the face painting that is visible on her face!!) I wanted to make dresses and stuff for them and crochet was putting a strain on my already straining back. Then during the holidays, my aunt introduced me to her sewing machine and that was that! I had found my passion, a relatively quicker way to produce those dresses for my girls. Sewing took lesser time than crochet and seemed to produce faster results. I must admit that I have not given up on crochet though. The colorful yarns still have their pull when I see them.

The effect of my newfound passion on my daily life was almost instantaneous. I am a working mother and hence a major chunk of my daily hours goes to work. Yet, I try to make time for sewing. Obviously I don't do it everyday, I can't. However, just knowing there is material (actually a lot of it!!!) at home can rev me up. I plan and draft in my spare time. Doodle away and google away for more inspiration.

When I start stitching, I usually ensure all my essential work like lunch and dinner is sorted so that I don't get much interruption. I guess you can say my organizational and time keeping has improved quite a bit. Who can sit down with the machine in peace knowing that within 15 minutes (or less!!) someone is gonna get hungry?? My organization is purely based on priority..dirty dishes can wait! Having done the organization bit, I sit down to stitch and then nothing can budge me from my chair ..except when my lil needs the loo...or the phone rings..or..

I love my babies very much but even lovable babies have difficult times and sewing helps to keep my patience and sanity. Another change I feel is that I get so involved that small things don't bother me as much as they used to... I just 'Let It Go...(Theme music - Elsa from Frozen)' During a sewing project, the images float around as you would see in cartoons and watching my girls wear anything I stitched is a satisfaction in itself.

One of the biggest pluses in this is that my daughters have both taken an interest, not in stitching per se, but they see that there is a world outside TV and Tablet. The elder takes an interest in ideas and color combinations of what I stitch while the younger plays about with fabric and toy scissors. Creativity does get a boost and can lead to so much color in our lives!!

Kids and family definitely take a priority over my stitching but when you learn to let them join you, when you learn to have team discussions, it definitely helps the bond. My husband and kids are extremely supportive of this passion of mine (would you believe hubby still gets me more material in spite of my extensive stash!!!)  and that helps loosen the stress and brightens the atmosphere in more ways than one.

The day begins...

I am actually enjoying this new zing with photography..the fact that I only have to have my mobile on hand makes it even more easy for me... why didn't I try it sooner??

Morning 7 and I am walking to my bus stop. I was already a bit late but I could see my bus hadn't arrived. Its been a bit foggy of late and I was waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. Turning left, I saw the day light just beginning to light up this part of the road. I whip out my mobile and took this!! The mix of light and shadows through the mobile camera ..not bad eh!!

I can only imagine my daughter's embarrassment on knowing when and how I took this pic,  she gets embarrassed easily (teenagers!!)  Knowing I was standing in the middle of the road in public taking pics of a street will definitely shock her!! I was about to take more but the light turned green.

Perhaps I should have centered myself on the platform but I could not afford to miss the bus.

Unfortunately, I am unable to see this kind of shading again.. I did try for a couple of days before posting this pic.

I just love that shade- the pinky peachy mix!! The pink at the top and the grey at the bottom... it was just beautiful.  (am I rambling again??) 

Sun burst...

Dozed off in the bus on the way to office,when a sudden jerk woke me up...

Wow, the most amazing sight was in front of me...I usually sit in the front of the bus and so my view out through the front glass ..er..windshield, is usually not hampered by seats in front of me..

The climate in Dubai is still unpredictabe and each day has a different weather report. However the cloud formation was absolutely amazing this day... and through the clouds, the sun was just breaking out..a wonderful sun burst!!

I doubt the pics here do nature's beauty the justice it deserves but I simply had to put it up.

All these pictures were taken between 7 30 and 8 in the morning. Just look at the sun shining out of the clouds. Thanks to the cloud density, the contrast is even more beautiful, don't you think??

I did take a lot more than the 4 pictures I have put up here but feel these many are enough for now. The shades and colors in the below picture are amazing. The bluish tinge on top and the yellowish tinge at the bottom, all in one frame!! The silhouettes of the tree and minaret add to the overall effect. Feels like a cross between day and eve all in one screen.

Here is another one, but without the silhouettes. Truly a breathtaking sight, which is probably why I lost my sleep after seeing this piece of natural beauty.

This is not a weather report...

Those of us living in Dubai are definitely seeing some erratic weather conditions aren't we?? Standing out at 7 15 am waiting for the office bus, I am usually only half awake... but thanks to my new found interest in Photography I clicked this...

It was only the next day, when I was in the same place at the same time (with no conscious thought actually being given to my photography) that I realized the difference in the scene in front of me... Its actually amazing... such a difference in 24 hours.. I do realize that many people in many places have seen even more drastic changes but hey..this is me!!! This is me waking up to see the world through my mobile camera. LOL!!

So, now that I have woken  up... I ll be posting more n more pix...kindly bear with me!!!