Meme Machine...

Here is the new meme. It is simple, easy and gives no room for whining one usually associates with a meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

Here’s mine:

This one is special because it opened worlds for me this year. We were driving towards Lucerne in summer. I was reading on the famous Lion of Lucerne (Löwendenkmal) when J asked me: If I knew who described the monument as the most moving piece of stone he has ever seen.

Robert Byron? Eric Newby? Oscar Wilde?
It was Mark Twain.






Later , when I stood before the monument, I was mesmerised. It was exactly as Twain had described it. Before this, I have never believed that a stone could be made to express such a primary human emotion of despair.

The lion is stabbed in the back and lies dying in dolour and with deep anguish of betrayal amongst the broken sovereigns and symbols of the French royalty.

The monument is dedicated to the six hundred Swiss Gaurds who lost their lives guarding the Tuilleries and Versailles palaces and their royal inhabitants during the French revolution. It was designed by the talented Dane Bertel Thorvaldsen. The Latin means: dedicated to the loyalty and courage of Swiss.


I observed how concise Twain was with his eyes and ink, hence dug up all his great travelogues, much to the shock of J who could never bring herself to believe that I hadn’t read them.

The Tramp’s Abroad
The Innocent’s Abroad
And the wonderful...Following the Equator (reading)

It has been a great find. Paul Theroux, Tony Hawks, Ewan McGregor, Bruce Chatwin, Bill Bryson, Stuart Maconie , Michael Palin I have read them a few adventurous travellers this year but No one has enriched me as much Twain has.


Here are the next, Thanks.
Mridula
Amit
Lavanya
Parikrama
Madhuri

Think Again. Tagblog.

I have been tagged to write about a few bloggers who I regard as thinking. Right, I must start off by saying I really don’t know the definitive boundaries of who would make a thinking blogger. Besides, everyone thinks.

I suppose most people consider someone who can articulate well as a thinking blogger. To me far from it really. I cant be bothered about conjunctions or grammar. If the blog suffices to convey an unique perspective, I would be more than glad to hang around. To me its better than paining oneself through a heap of correctly used syntaxes, punctuation etc to arrive at nothing that you didn’t know before. Well, call it impatience.

Personally , since starting this blog I have seen the change within myself reflected here. Now I find myself lacking in inclination and more importantly in time to wade through a stack of useless pastimes and pseudo-rational self beliefs to find some needle that's useful and feel good about it. I am certainly more happier to hang around a couple of blogs which seem to be consistently independent, unique and secure. So I would just have to write about a few bloggers whom I have been following, seen evolve or have established a rapport through their blogs. With or without thinking.

So now that we have adequately complicated matters lets get down to the write-up.

Hmmm, as I have said I value independence and observational perspectives generated by personal experiences highly. With these, even though she cant give directions properly , I would have to mention Finny . However unsettled or discontent she might sound at times I can assure the blog is unique both in form and content and more importantly it isn’t afraid of making a mistake. I think her Roy Derrida blog is a gem of an original argument. I would easily take it any day instead of some myopic drivel.

Next would have to be Rajesh. Though his blog in a traditional sense is limited in its range, it makes up in quality. Quite easily one of the decent non-pompous Indian blog by miles. I’m hoping that after taking care of his other priorities he starts writing more regularly for the blog.

One of the other blogger who has held my interest of late is Will. Some of the arguments are compelling and worth mulling over. I have to dive into the archives whenever I have time.

When Maurice contacted me early this year asking for entries for his assort blog Concelebratory Shoe Horn , I thought it was just another keen now soon to turn banal effort. But must say concelebratory has turned out wonderfully. It features one of the most diverse and most creative assemblages that I have seen online. Goes spendidly with a tea.

And then there is the wonderfully dadaistic Brim blog that always sheds light from a different corner of the tunnel.

Speaking of assort blogs I cant leave out the Pigmentium . Last year when I realised that most of the online time goes unaccounted for , I thought of mixing online time with some structured learning. I was looking to find some strict commitment within bloggers who are motivated to learn. And I found Elle and Kay (who wishes to be anonymous). And they are simply great; they are instrumental in translating the brainchild into some real worth. If I can easily say a Corot from a Constable from about 25 metres, without any doubt they deserve the credit.

That’s it I think.