Work In Progress

Just in case you were wondering, I'm still alive. So is this blog. I'm just working to create something that will (hopefully) be a bit bigger and a lot better than this little blog that I created nearly three years back - wow, time flies!

Meanwhile, I hope you're getting ready for winter - here's some warmth from my Diwali celebration at home in London to keep you warm, while I return with what I'm working on.

Thank you for your patience! 

Love and Light.

~ Flaneurbanite.

Last Night's Perigee Moon

I was probably one of the only people on the Earth last night who were completely unaware of the fact that we were about to have this dazzling moon. I noticed it only as I returned home from a day out - and then raced upstairs with my camera for a few shots.


The moon, as it looked to me, last night.

Stunning. :)

Hipstamatised Kuala Lumpur

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I've been travelling a whole lot recently. Most of it has been of the hectically-working-while-being-severely jet-lagged variety, which leaves little room (or consciousness) for taking pictures.

On my last trip to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) though, I was forced to slow down and take notice - by a massive but beautiful thunderstorm - and then, I had to take pictures. But it was one of those rare moments when I wasn't carrying my camera, weighed down as I was by tonnes of paper and a laptop (sigh, work trips...and being tiny) and so I gave my iPhone and the Hipstamatic app a chance. The only credit I'll take for these pictures is for that consciousness...and perhaps, the composition.

It had been a while since I had seen a tropical thunderstorm in its full glory and power. The only rain I see in London is the feeble, unsure type, with a complete lack of self respect. You know, the deeply annoying type? Tropical rain is all powerful, seductive, all-consuming. It makes you stop and take note, awes you by its presence. It forces you to celebrate its beauty, its glory, even its destructiveness. Ah, I miss the Indian monsoon. 

And so, I went to bed that night, tired, but strangely happy...and woke up the next morning to this stunning view.

Who says you need a state of the art camera to capture the beauty you see?*. 

~

*Having said that though, I must confess and rather proudly announce that on the same trip, I became the owner of a new DSLR camera - my first. While the camera can no doubt do nice things, I'm busy figuring out what I can do with the camera. I'll be back soon with my first results. :)

And we're back!

Yes, it's been a long time away, and I've missed you, I've missed the blog, I've missed the pleasure and the hard work of clicking and posting, I've missed replying to comments and watching you come and go...but not for a moment did I give up or forget - I've been meaning to come back, and here I am again.

My personal all-time favourite picture on this blog, and certainly the one that attracted the maximum attention in 2010. Just because, I love this picture and I'm proud of it (and because no post on this blog can be sans a picture!)

In the last four months, I have clicked, but not as much as I'd have wanted to. I've travelled a whole lot, and some of that is going to find its way to this blog. I've also been busy writing for some publications and I'll soon show you what. I've worked hard elsewhere because I needed to, and that goes on. But what changes is that I'll be posting regularly again, and if all goes as per plan, I'll have some new things going here not too far into the future.


But before I go on to all that, I need to thank you, dear readers - all those who stuck on to this blog, left comments and sent me emails despite my being A.W.O.L; and to all those new subscribers who've recently joined the little party we've going on here (it's a bit dull at the moment, I know, but I promise to amp it up, and soon!). I know I can't trust technology a hundred percent, but if my subscriber statistics are to be believed, this little blog has not  lost any subscribers in the last four months - instead, added a whole bunch! And do you know what a big boost of encouragement that is? A VERY big one!

So Thank You, and I hope you've all missed me just as much as I've missed you.

Here we go, again.

Itsy Bitsy News ... And A Wee Landmark.

It's been a while since I last posted, but I'm content on two counts - one, that the last post continues to attract comments (thank you!) and two, that the gap hasn't been in vain. I've been busy changing a few things around here, but to see them you'll probably have to click through from your feed reader.

Look! 

New layout! 

New links section! 

I know the layout is not the best, but give me some back-pats, please. I hardly know any code and I did this all by myself!

The links section contains a few of my all-time and current favourite photoblogs, photographers and photomags. Some are friends, some all-time greats and personal inspirations. Some, just darned good. It's a dynamic list and I'll keep adding to it.

In other news, the awesome Editors at Londonist invited me to do a Londonist Behind The Lens, which is pretty much a description of me as a photographer, what photography means to me and my love for London. Also, I got to share a bunch of my favourite London shots (selecting which, was a te-ee-ee-dious task. I have thousands of London pictures, thousands...and I like about fifty of them. I was supposed to select seven.  Only. In short, aarrgh.) Anyway, do read it if you want to know just a little bit more about me. 

"Psychedelic City": Just one of my favourite London shots that did not make it to slideshow here.

Oh, and the other wonderful thing is that this blog just officially crossed the 10K mark. That's ten thousand unique hits (and nearly 21K page views) . Over exactly 1 year and 1 month. Not the greatest blog stats ever, but hey, when I started this I wasn't sure of getting even five hundred, so tralalalala! In other words, it makes me happy.

And so, to all of you who've supported this blog; to those of you who follow or subscribe to it; to each one of you who's ever left a comment, suggestion, constructive criticism or just a hello; to those who've sent me heartfelt emails: Thank You. 

It's been a good weekend. I'll soon be back with more.

~The Flaneurbanite.

A Year Full of Happiness

Tadadadadaaan!
Is that good text equivalent for a celebratory bugle? Because it's birthday time and I am all set to party!

I can hardly believe it but today marks one full year of Urban Legends!

I started this little blog after two years of a foolish hiatus from all things creative, in which I'd let my old photoblog die a lonely death; a time when I wrote and clicked a bit but let other things take over, which led me to a state when I thought I'd physically suffocate if I made any more space in my life for the banal, the uncreative, the mediocre...oh, all that is not important anymore! What's important is that I finally listened to that pleading voice in my head and gave in, once more, to the sheer joy of creating and sharing. I started out with a semi-pro camera that my Significant Other gifted to me in 2008, and my old faithful Fujifilm point and shoot; a reignited passion, and absolutely no idea where this was going to lead me. Who knew that by the end of of the year, this would have taken a life of its own and that I would find so, so much in the process.

"Now we are music together, sharing one cup" - Rumi

Through this blog, I re-communed with my passions - not just photography and writing, but also - cities. I'm blessed to be living in this wonderful city and this blog gave me the chance to make you see it the way I do. And then came the chance to visit other cities, other places and the chance to do what I love to do - tell stories.

Through this blog, I got some amazing opportunities - things that I hadn't even dreamed of finding when I started it. I discovered Londonist and the amazing bunch of people who run it. I got the opportunity to exhibit my photos in central London, and to be interviewed by the lovely Jaz for Londonist! Through this blog, my photos were discovered by the cool people behind Televisual and my photos went to print for the very first time! And through this blog, Metrotwin happened - the opportunity to shoot and write about two of my favourite cities in the world.

But most importantly, through this blog, I met so many of you who're reading this right now - you all who've kept me going at times when I wondered if it was worth the sheer hard work that has gone into this, and when the troll came visiting. Your comments, your encouragement, and most of all, your heartfelt emails have become a large part of this blog's (and mine) raison d'être.

What more could I have asked for?

****

2009 was a terrible year for a lot of people. I started 2009 in gloom and uncertainty myself as my job fell prey to the ugly recession just before it started. My income fell, my career nose-dived and so did my spirits. But you know what they say about a window opening up when a door closes?

This blog was my window. My window to you, my window to my own self and my window to happiness.

I still click with the same semi-pro, I still don't have the spare change to host this on my own domain (because I still don't have that job, darned recession!), I still don't have the heart to give away the old battered Fuji. But I have a year and a heart full of Urban Legends and no one can take that away from me.

Happy Birthday Urban Legends.
Here's to many more years of creative joy.

****

Now that I'm done with the sentimental soppiness, let me say sorry again for being so AWOL these last two months. I nearly let myself be sucked back into banality again but thank goodness for good sense and that constant nagging in my head. So yes, I'm back for good. Just you try getting rid of me now!

Here's what's coming up:

- An updated list of links to some fantastic photographers and photo-bloggers out there that you must visit.

- A brand new post (or two, or several..) from London.

- A new city, and several stories.

- A few old ones from 2008 and before. Who says I can only tell new stories? Stories are stories, it's the way you tell them, not when (or so says I).

- What? No, I'm not going to give everything away, so keep checking back.

****

And finally!
(Hey you in the back row! Wake up!) An awesome video that, to me, sums up the ethos of this last year on Urban Legends, and hopefully will continue to, in the years to come.
Enjoy!

Yours soppily, cheekily and stupidly happily,
Flaneurbanite.

:-)

The other Mumbai wakes up

Early on a Sunday morning, the Fort area of south Bombay ought to be deserted. No throngs of suits and ties, no briefcases and cellphones, no long and short cars, and traffic jams and honking and cursing, and sweating policemen just barely managing to keep a semblance of sanity in the chaos. None of it.

The suits are in pajamas at home sleeping off the week and the traffic policemen are yet to arrive on duty. I expect to find a deserted Fort. It is strikingly different, but as I look around I realise I have unwittingly wandered into the morning rituals of the other Mumbai - those who have no weekends.

For, work must still be done for that wage that will buy today's dinner for the family. That walk to work must still be done. That bus caught. That cycle trip made. Sunday is not a weekend. There are no weekends.

Teeth must be brushed before those gas cylinders are delivered.
Hair must be brushed before the day's business starts.
Last night's laundry must be picked up from the park fence before a bird ruins it. Rubbish must be cleared.

I'm clearly the outsider: Who is this woman toting a camera? She isn't supposed to be here so early on a Sunday.

Pictures must be posed for.

"Didi, humaari bhi photo le lo"
(Big Sister, please click a picture of us too)
Lots of posing and giggling ensues.

"Maddum, hum bhi khinchwale?" she asked shyly.
(Madam, Can I also have one?)
I loved her smile.

"Arre Maddum, lage haath meri bhi le lo!"
(Oh Madam, while you're at it, please take one of me too!)
Strikes a pose, pretends to talk on the phone. Never mind the trash in the foreground.

It's always like this on Indian streets. It's more endearing than annoying. I click, while an amused old taxi driver watches. I train my camera on him, but he doesn't flinch.

Back to morning business - tobacco and choona (lime) must be shared, over routine morning greetings.

"Arre Maddumji, ye kaunse aqhbaar mein chhapegi?!"
(Hey, Madam! In what newspaper will this picture get published?)

I smile and shake my head to indicate a no and walk on. Perhaps I should have explained what a blog is. But the sun was getting higher in the sky and sweat was streaming down my back. It would have taken too long - too long for my comfort.

Meanwhile, the old taxi driver is still watching. He's smiling now. One more picture to let him know that I know he's watching. He could have been a statue.

Up on the road, business has already begun. The first customer of the day, the first few rupees. That heavy delivery of potatoes that will take hours on a cycle. The posh shop front must be prepared for its posh customers. The underwear drying on the plants must be removed.

Someone else cycles past me and waves me a loud hello. He's faster than my camera. My car's waiting, the driver slouching in air conditioned comfort, probably wondering what the hell I'm up to, but too polite to ask. I want to stay and watch some more, but I'm drenched in sweat now. I'm not used to this. The rest of Mumbai is still asleep.

I glance back before I sit in the car. The taxi driver is still watching me, his smile wider - the kind of indulgent smile that the elderly reserve for what they consider the foolish young. I laugh and take one last picture.

Mumbai Disturbia

There's a Sanskrit word with its roots in Indian Hindu philosophy and mythology called "Maya" - meaning illusion, something that embodies duality - that, which changes face and confuses our perception of reality in daily life.

Mumbai, the city, epitomises Maya.

That, which glitters with hope for millions in small town and rural India; that, which carries the honourable plaque of the financial hub of the country, that utopian dream that can make millionaires out of rag-pickers - that temptress, which attracts so many to it only to send most of them plunging into its dystopian reality, a world, ironically, full of disillusion.

Few of us are alien to Mumbai's dark underbelly - glorified as it is by the Slumdogs and Salaam Bombays. But walk right into its scenes when you least expect to, when you haven’t been in the city long enough at a stretch to be sufficiently inured to it, and it can disturb deeply.

On my last leg of my India trip last month, I spent two days in Bombay (as I still like to call it). Rose early on a Sunday morning to get a few shots of my favourite part of the city and to get a few shots for Metrotwin Mumbai. Shots of NGMA done, pleased with myself , pleased with the shots I had managed to take, I started walking towards my waiting car, the city only just stirring into action around me. This is when I spotted this little girl, sweeping a small patch of the street, all alone.

Why did I stop and notice her? It was the way she was dressed, the look on her face – she was an anomaly to the hordes of street children one comes across on Bombay’s streets. She wasn’t in tatters; she wore a clean frock and her hair in two neat pigtails. She couldn’t have been over 5. She was so vulnerable. I moved towards her, hoping to speak to her – suddenly she looked up and ran away. I followed, hoping to find her around the corner but instead, I found this.

I don’t know if this woman was her mother. I don’t know why she was sleeping (lying?) on the doormat of that building. Like the child, she was dressed neatly; she didn’t belong here, on the street. There were a few men around by this point. No one else seemed to notice her. A couple of men glanced at me, probably surprised that I was paying her any attention at all. At one point I thought I saw her open her eyes slightly and look at me. I couldn’t be sure. I was afraid to go up to her and talk to her. I don’t know why. I stood there for a long time wondering if I should. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

In the end I walked away, just like the men. But these images didn’t leave me.

Exciting Times

These are exciting times. As I type this, I'm sitting on a couch amidst half-filled suitcases and Fedex boxes. Yes, the India stint is nearly over and I'll be back in London very soon. I'm saying goodbyes, getting just a touch emotional, and also slowly but steadily getting better. Thank you, for all your good wishes in the comments and through email! I was really touched.

As you can imagine, amidst all this happening, posting here will be a bit slow (but only for a week or so more, I promise you!). But then here comes some good news to counter that:

You can now also follow my work on an all-new blog called Metrotwin Mumbai on which I was invited to be a Contributing Editor. It's no secret that I'm in love with London, but Mumbai too, is one of the cities that holds a special place in my heart (although I still like to call it by its old colonial name 'Bombay'). And that is why I jumped at this. Launched by British Airways just last week, it is based on the innovative concept of "twinning" London and Mumbai - two of the most vibrant and exciting cities on the planet, and which, despite being a world apart, have a lot in common! What's that, you ask? Go read the blog and find out for yourself. You can read all my posts there on one page by clicking on this link.

Don't go away just yet! Urban Legends is going to be back with lots of untold stories from India and with the regular programming from London, in a week's time. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with some pictures from these last three months in India that never made it to this blog (and probably won't make an appearance in the stories yet to be told) but I like them anyway and I hope you will, too.

I know these pictures are all very disconnected - they don't weave a web like those spiders up there. But I like the pictures and they all have little anecdotes if not full stories linked to them. Would love to tell you those sometime... do tell me if you'd like to know.