These photos I uploaded are not in sequence to my presentation. That doesn't matter however, because I didn't follow any line of story and sequence. Almost every slide is independent of each other.
**ze presentacione
Comparison of the Himalayas and the Southern Alps of NZ. I read somewhere that the Himalayas and the Southern Alps of New Zealand are very similar in nature. Both have very unpredictable weather and unexpected upheavals that throw lives of many mountaineers in danger. And both are not heavily commercialised as the European Alps is. Afterthought: maybe I should give serious second thoughts to European Alps remaining as my favourite destination on earth, maybe I already am at the best possible places already, that is the Southern Alps and the Himalayas.
Book Shopping in Calcutta. This remains one of my fondest memories of India. The only regret is that I never really found the ultimate destination in Calcutta where they apparently sold cheap as books on the road sides for very very almost unbelieveably cheap price. But I found some shops that were typically high in quality as of the intellectual society of Calcutta. It was a real experience.
Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon - there is no truth. One of the most influential films I have ever seen, a powerful story of a story of murder and the search for truth. Not only is it a cinematic masterpiece (where, according to the co-director with Akira Kurosawa, the camera [and the cinematography] was the hero of the story) it also carries the strong theme of 'what is truth?'. Five different versions of a murder scene, all correct (so to say) in their own ways, only difference being their perception about it. I was introduced to the idea of perception in human beings with this film and I am convinced that there is no truth. Except One. That we all know of. Divine.
Chanel ad and mystic temples in Varanasi. During my trip to Varanasi, the holiest city and also apparently the oldest in the world, I found this random Asian guy swinging some fire thing on the banks of Ganga. I caught him in photograph hand-held, SLR camera, that took 1/8 shutter speed to capture (hence explaining the slight shake and blur) and caught this strange interesting pattern that looks like a Chanel logo. Talk about irony. Chanel logo on the bank of Ganga in Varanasi.
The beaches. I am not a major fan of the beaches (atleast not until I came to Christchurch) and I have no idea why I put this photo up as a part of this presentation. But then I explained about the plight of the hippies who 'stayed behind while everyone grew up and started their lives, who stayed back snorting away in the beaches'.
Example of Bollywood Pop Art and film poster. This was probably done by some street artist for the films, but now they sell for thousands of dollars. A good example of Indian pop kitsch art. Classic.
Architecture in Bombay, the mix of English and Indian styles. About Bombay this is a beautiful example of a blend of Indian architecture and British architecture. But apparently the designer of the building (the top one) had designed for the entrance of this building to be facing this way out into the sea but was shocked and terrified to realise that the makers and contractors made it face the other way. (So yeah, you're not seeing the entrance in this photo, but if the idea of the architect had worked out, you'd have been) Then there's story that the architect who is English never stepped foot on Indian soil again.
Crazy Indian Railway
Naga food
Naga Chief and Warrior designs
more of those
Shillong Rock Music
Shillong Rains
And Andy Warhol, my favourite artist (liable to change)