Looking Back
Unni, our young driver, takes a break beside the lake.
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Picture taken by the lake at Thattekad, Kerala
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Afternoon Stillness
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
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Pictures taken on our recent stay in the Plapally Rubber Estate, Koottickal.
Away In The Hills
I am taking it easy in Koottickal.
Friends from England are visiting and we have taken to the hills.
Anu, my houseboy, accompanies us:
There is much to be said for finding one’s bag unpacked and clothes neatly hanging, just five minutes after arriving at a new destination!
And now I sit looking out across the verandah, while my friends stroll through local rubber plantations.
The musical sounds of gently-spoken, Malayalam chatter trickle down from the tree-house, where Anu and our driver, Solly, relax and enjoy the views.
All is well.
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Coping With Stress
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,
even if your whole world seems upset.”
Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622)
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Picture taken outside Kannur railway station, Kerala.
En Passant..
Having left the lake of dreams our minds returned to less lofty aspirations.
In the short-term, I was happy to settle for tea.
A simple lodge was found and refreshments ordered.
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Then, after exploring a giant Buddhist prayer wheel
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And the local shops
We headed back to Pelling.
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Pictures taken in Sikkim.
Northern Exposure: Part 5
Adopting a posture.
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Picture taken on the road to Gangtok, Sikkim, during my travels in northern India.
Northern Exposure
Start as you mean to continue..
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Picture taken at the Red Fort, Delhi, on my excursion to north India.
The Rigours Of Rest
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Sleep comes easily once more.
After one week of rather restless nights, my internal clock has re-adapted to Indian time.
Though settling back into the gentle rhythms of life in Kerala requires little effort…
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Picture taken in the Brahmin colony, Fort Cochin.
Work, Rest And Pray
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A makeshift market has arisen outside the temple walls.
Here vendors offer religious images, books, clothes and refreshments.
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Others rest beneath blue tarpaulins, acquiring a sickly cyanotic hue .
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But further down the hill lies an important annexe of the temple.
A giant statue of the bull Nandi, gate-keeper and mount of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
Devotees leave their offerings behind this mystical beast’s ample haunches
And seek blessings from the shrine’s priest.
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We head back to the car park
And rescue the car.
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A Short Intermission
The drummer’s rhythmic crescendo is timed to occur as they arrive at the chapel.
Now, their instruments can be temporarily set down.
The musicians take a brief rest
And interlude refreshments.
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In the 1950’s, when most programmes were broadcast live and timings were not exact, there were often interludes between programmes. These were filled by continuity announcements and short features.
The BBC shot a series of short films which became as famous as the programme they were shown between. This is “The Windmill”, filmed at Pakenham, Bury St Edmunds.
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Work, Rest And Play: The Practice Of Living
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The practice of living mainly revolves around mundane, repetitive tasks, which seem to lack glamour or heroism. But perhaps it is in these simple acts that the potential for growth and awareness lies.
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“Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.”*
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“We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. One becomes in some area an athlete of God.”*
*Martha Graham
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Under The Midday Sun
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“When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday…” Dag Hammarskjold
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Neither Use Nor Ornament 