My first blood donation

After spreading awareness using the posters that I have designed I thought it would be selfish not to indulge in this selfless act myself. So two days ago I donated my blood for the first time . It was a great experience, I was a little nervous at first but I went through the whole process. It felt great to know that what you are doing is going to affect and probably save lives. 

I thank the Red Cross who help millions across the globe. And i would be donating blood more often now that I have began. 

A hasty lifestyle

A video that i made few weeks ago showing how well are are trapped into our lifestyles. In this video I have tried to show the hasty lifestyle that we have adapted, how we are fading away into the crowd and not giving any time to ourselves and to those who we care for.
http://youtu.be/X0g_LC6nqyU

First fruit of this season

The first fruit of this season just ripped. I have been growing strawberries from past four years. I find gardening could teach you a lot of things. It's like life, the goals that you work for, bit by bit everyday until you get what you want same as the gardening you pour water and take care of the plants everyday until you get the desired results. Like life, it is going to test your persistence, your patience and your punctuality. It is not an easy task but in the end it would be worth it.

 

Gardening have a soothing effect on me, the sight of those small green leaves with red fruits is a welcoming sight. It influences you greatly, for a moment you start to loose yourself into the beauty of it. It takes your mind off the worldly surroundings and you feel close to nature. 

Some captured moments

A few photographs that I captured on my recent trip to Delhi.

All true faces

Tell me is it really possible to truly know someone. After all I have been through I find it hard to believe. Someone once said that, give  person a mask and he will show his true face. Have we all put on masks .......hiding our true selves...... fearful of the truth.
Is it the fear of being naked in front of the mass because they are afraid what opinion others will hold of them or they are all hiding because the truth will make them vulnerable. 

I found thousand true faces of someone, all presenting compulsion to be believed,  trustworthy, pleasant, but as soon as I turn, the color changes.

 Are we all mere artists? because I fear in the chase of showing their false faces their real identity would parish. And the masks they have all put on will become their identity.

Donate Blood , Save Life

A few posters that I have designed to support my endeavour of spreading awareness into the society.

My first tablet

A few pictures that I captured while traveling to get my first tablet (iPad) from Connaught place, Delhi.

The knowledge that I was unable to spread

I have always believed that knowledge is power. The one who possesses the most is likely to be more successful.
I have been associated with EDx.edu since  2012. I have accumulated plethora of knowledge and completed 5 courses of five diverse fields.
I think that it is laudable that they are handing over all that knowledge without any fee and I along with millions others are thankful for it.

While doing so I took personal initiative to spread it as much as possible. I told over twenty of my friends and encouraged them to be a part of it. But to my surprise not even one of them got through a single course, some only joined it just because I told them to do so. I found it peculiar that people are not even interested in improving themselves. It was really depressing watching them waste  this great opportunity. I have done my part but I can't force them to do anything that they are unwilling to do.

A piece of literature

(Few words joined together to narrate an incident , I wrote this one while I was sitting in an local library. Rather than establishing the scenario I took a different approach and started from the middle.)

Their hopes shattered as soon as they got the glimpse of him.
He was emerged from the darkness.
They were too scared to move, the blood froze into the veins, their feet felt like they are buried deep into the ground impeding any movement.

He was moving with a slow pace like he could sniff the fear in air.
Earth shattered with each falling step of his making a thud. He was sliding his long weapon along the ground, they could see the sparks emerging from the point of impact. It was a giant blade with a handle covered with shiny skin which was glowing bright in the moon light.
His appearance remained mystery to them , until he was a feet away from them.
He covered his face with a black mask making it almost impossible to discern any facial features. He was over 7 feet tall , truly gigantic with heavy muscular built up.
His body covered with some kind of strange sleeveless robe. It was covered with blood, one could see it moving, flowing within the cloth, forming different pattern. His blade came piercing the air and slayed both of them in an instance. The blood splattered all over his robe, but rather than causing stains it blended into the cloth. And the robe was once again the same as it was before. And the he decended into the darkness once again.

A flaw in human nature

I have donated 50 buks to help the students who were victim of a tragic bomb blast in Delhi.
It's strange yet laudable to look at all those helping hands coming together to help.
The people who don't even know the victims, are coming farward and donating. It appear intriguing to me, I have never actually believed that so many people can come together and do something worthy to make a change.
In my opinion the speaker who motivates others to donate by narrating the whole incident plays a vital role in it. A adroit speaker who is good with words can influence mass and have them donate a good amount of money which otherwise would have been difficult.

The strange thing about this whole incident is that all of them(the audience) blindly believed what message he(the speaker) were delivering without ever inquiring about it.

It was rather funny, anyone who have a good intellectual skills and have knowledge about a tragic incident can fool so many people and also generate a plethora of money. I guess people are hardwired to help others so when any others are endangered they come farward to help without ever doubting the scenario.

A mind needs books

"A mind needs books like a sword needs whetstone" Tyron Lannister  (Game of thrones)

Here are the few books which I have read in past few years. I not only find them highly informative but also refreshing. Through the time my motive behind reading books changed sometimes it's inspiration, sometimes it's to take a look at the vivid imagination of a fascinating author, sometimes it's due to boredom. No matter the reason I always find time to read good books. It's a habit which I will always cherish.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma

Guide To Greatness

Guide To Greatness 2

127 Hours

Possessed

Tha Bankster

iWoz

Clash Of The Kings

The Innocent

The Magician

Fakebook

Great Expectations

Single In The City

Sherlock Holmes

Mind Reader

Harry potter Series

The school for dangerous girls

Surprise me

The witch of Portobello 

Dead to the world

Out of the Broom closet

The power of positive thinking 

The rozabal line

How to reach from where you are to where you want to be 

The biography of Abraham Lincoln 

Why smart people can be so stupid 

Diary of a serial killer

The immoral of meluha 

The secret of nagas 

The oath of vayuputras 

Hamlet

Red dragon

Three mistakes of my life

The power of your subconscious mind 

The Steve Jobs way

Like a Virgin

Rich dad poor dad

The death that Shook me

August 2013

Those arid logs beneath his head, his deteriorating body. Eyes which shall never open again towards this drab world. Hairs wet with his own blood, the body cut down into  pieces. The ongoing cremation ceremony to which I paid no heed to. The enchanting sound of "mantras". The vision a bit blurred, eyes watered by the sight, by though of never seeing my friend again. People rendering solace to his wailing grandfather and big brother.

A sudden ignition and the body burst into flames. I was in agony, such a fine soul, a young vibrant boy and alas it had all come to this. My hands folded over my chest, thinking about all the fine memories we have shared in the past. His body is now burning vigorously, the skin started to melt off the bones. The crowd started to scuttle, the family and friends who cherished the guy were leaving the criminatory, I was the last one standing waving my friend final good bye. Strange, it seemed to me that all of those people abandoning him in his final moments. He was a brother to me I remained there saw his body turn to ashes. I think he deserved it, he deserved my support, he wanted me to be there. His soul would now receive some solace knowing that there was still one guy who stood by him in his final moments and did not abandon him like the rest.

(3 days before)

It was a usual evening i left early for the gym, taking the same path to travel. A familiar face stopped me amid, seeing an old friend. He was one of my oldest friends, we were in the same class in junior high. Memories came jostling back, we talked about future plans, i inquire about his family. It was nice, he was there with a friend to which i didn't pay much heed. After a brief talk we shook hands and i left for the gym.

Two days after the meet his grandfather came to our house, he was catatonic. When My father inquired what happen; he told that Sam(My Friend) didn't came home from past two days. He tried calling him, messaged him but no respond came. Then in the evening Sam called, he was suicidal, he talked about drowning himself to Gange. My father on hearing it, took immediate action informed police and local media. 

After a day news came that he had committed suicide by jumping infront of a train. His death came as a shock to everyone. He left a burden on my soul along with thousand unanswered questions that i ask myself everytime i think about it, the answers to which i will never find. Could i save saved him from himself? Was it really a suicide? What part does that other boy have in this wistful incident? 

A thought

Fabrication is an artist's weapon

My First Art Exhibition

Dated 1.9.2014

It was a proud moment for me , the day I have been preparing for 3 long years. I named it "the white period" , during this period I have adapted painting styles of various great artists such as Quang Ho , M.F Hussain ,  Picasso and some other less known Indian artists. 

I was quite happy by the news when the university decided to organise my art exhibition. I have invited all my friends and family to be a part of this very special moment of my life. Since I first started to paint , my parents have been exalting me but I always thought that it was part of their parenting to support their son. So this was the moment when I fist stepped out into the real world to find out what they think about it. The response i got was unbelievable. I was very happy and satisfied that finally my toil have been rewarded. 

                                             With Director of IHTM and Vice Chancellor MDU 
                                                     At inauguration of my art exhibition

                                                                A pic of my art exhibition

                      MDU UIET Director Mr. Khatkar honoring me with a bouquet for my Art Exhibition

                        A small cutting of my art exhibition from a national newspaper Dainik Bhaskar

Expanding my horizons

For me life is all about expanding my horizons , I have always emphasized on exploring new fields because they offer me new challenge and a chance to learn. According to me when you attempt something new you not only explore your unknown potential but also develop respect towards those who choose it as a career. So this time I have attempted photography. An competition organized by Amazon have offered me something which I was seeking for quite some time , a challenge.  

So I grabbed my camera and hit the road to find something that was never captured before , a whole other side which was never presented in front of the world. This endeavor led me into the unknown. I went to places where I have never been before , I have seen the world through my lens and have captured a few remarkable shots. 

"Love Bugs"

The picture captured is of Trichodes apiarius, a commonly found insect in India. This is a couple which i captured on my trip to a local park.  

       "An arid tree"

A shot of a arid tree from one of my journeys to the west.

 "The Rag Pickers" 

The image captures a community of people with no real jobs, people who are left behind. The shot is in Black and white because for these people there are no colors. Their drab eyes lacks spark, at young age their parents forced them to adapt this profession rather then sending them to schools. This picture represents million dead dreams across India.

     "Lone Riders"

This is a pictures of two construction site workers who wake up everyday while the whole the whole world sleep in their comfortable beds. At the minimum wages these are the hardest working people of India.

   "The solitary tree"

The image represents a wistful paradox where on one side the industrialisation is at its pinnacle on the other side forests are diminishing at a rapid rate.

      "The Other Side Of India"

This picture captures another side of India, where on one side we are cooking in microwaves living in comfortable warm houses these people are gathering woods to cook their food and keep them warm.These neglected people whom no one bother to mention. Through my lens i have captured them to bring them into the lime light that they deserve.

   "Mighty Buffalo"

 

    The image shows a bird sitting on the buffalo's back. 

    

  "The white buds"

 The image presents a contrast of colors helping the buds to stand out.

"Still fresh"

            The image captures a plant infested with rain drops. This shot was captured just after the rain.

"Pastoral berries"

               

                        On one of my trips to explore, I found these berries in a pastoral inhabitation.                                                    

  "A Rural Shot"

            The shot was captured during my trip to my village. A farmer guiding the cattle towards home.

      "The Mighty Farmer"

The image captures rural side of India. A farmer who works very hard to feed the nation. And yet ignored and belittled by the authorities. The picture is captured in such manner(from the back/faceless) to show that the real face of India is our farmers yet they are denied on every turn.

Something they failed to mention in leadership books

Thousands of books have been written on how to become a successful leader. Each present their own different prospects , each put their own argument and afferming events to support them. I have my own point of view developed by analyzing many leaders in various different fields.

Employees often talk to the leader about various things they share their ideas, experiences, sometimes their personal affairs too. Now in every management book it's written that a good leader is the one who listens to others but in my opinion there is something missing. Human is a social animal. He likes to be acknowledged, be recognized, be a part of something which is bigger than him but in case he fails to attain that, he gets disappointed and disappointed workers are not good for business. 

A good leader is the one who remembers. If a person or an employee trusts you enough to share something with you, it is important for you to remember. If he tells you that his wife Molly is not feeling good and he is worried about her. The next time you see him ask him how is Molly now, is she ok? This forms a bond between employers and employees which is far more strong any bond between a boss and a worker. Once the employees realize that you care for them, that you think them as your own, they would become loyal to you. This will not only create passionate and happy workers but also an healthy working environment in the organization. Care about people you work with. In most cases the leader only asks out of courtesy but never bother to remember. People feel undervalued working and that lack of acknowledgment would yield into workers who have no love for the job which would ultimately conclude as organizational failure.

Encouraging Art:My first interview

I had my first interview published recently in a local newspaper "Hari Bhoomi".
The interviewer wanted my opinion over the lack of society's interest in arts.
Me being an artist have reprimanded it strongly and suggested a few ways that when adapted could bring the change we need.

Getting Ready In The Morning

A video that i made of myself getting ready in the morning. A new creation style that i have adapted in the video which enabled me to express more in less time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgUI51n8jEU

Expressing myself through cooking

Most people use different methods to express their emotions. For me cooking is one of them. I always try to do something fun with what I cook and this is what I have done today. I cooked okra with tomato. I named it " the masto okra".It was delicious. The recipe shall remain an enigma for now. Here are the few pics of it during the process.

My father's lesson to me

My father have taught me few basic theories of life. At the end of which he told me that these theories are not universal. No one can predict that which one could be applied where.

Every situation would be different and would require a different solution. Where what i have tought you might not suffice.
You must yourself analyse the scenario which you are presented with. Read the man, glean from the situation. Look for the solution, if the theories work then imply them if they don't find your own way.
Every obstacle that you concur or loose would teach you some new lessons.

Emend those strategies and pass them on to the younger generation.

Keeping the dreams alive

The glittering shades of lights are blurring my vision. The gentle breeze kissing my naked feet. The moonlight consuming the darkness in the sky turning it grey. I can hear dogs howling in chorus to each other. A few heavy load trucks paving the silent path with their hoarse noise.
My eyes still fixed toward the far end ignoring everything. Picturising my own dreams into the darkness. The hopes and believe keeping me determined towards my goals.

Some time illusion is good

Some time illusion is better than reality.
Do you know that out of the following thee which one is the best way to prepare for the interview which is about to happen.
1. Revising the presentation that you are about to give.
2. Thinking about the questions that might be asked.
3. Going to washroom and behaving like you have just won ab Olympic gold medal.

The answer is the 3rd one by thinking that you have just won an Olympic gold medal would boost you chances of being accepted.
Although it's a delusion you know it and your mind know it too.
But sometime fooling your subconscious mind and making yourself do what you think is right is an excellent strategy to adapt.
By making you self believing that you have won a medal will not only boost your confidence but will also give you courage while facing the interview.

The thing with our younger generation is that we don't believe in ourself. The reason behind is the lack of conscience of our society and parents. When a child faces any loss , defeat or  discouragement.  The child looses it's confidence and started blaming other or in some cases himself. Through the years these minor defeats scars the person for life. And we start to feel inferior, lacking confidence , determination and self belief.
We seek other people approval or their belief. We start to question ourself and the decisions we make.
So next time if someone make a mistake tell him that it's a lesso n not a defeat. Teach the generation to learn the lessons from the mistakes because mistakes are necessary for the development of a person.

Edison once said that a person who have never made a mistake in his life had never tried anything new.