Looking Up At Trees Looking Down On Me

Spring in Delhi is possibly my favourite season of all.

But I almost missed [all three weeks of] it this year. I've been buzzing around with purpose lately. You might even say I've been bees-y. Oh, I know. But every second I haven't spent looking out of the viewfinder of my camera, I've spent wishing I had it. My photos are very much a part of the way I view the world. And all of you know that, of course. But it also means that driving past the wonderfully flower-canopied Delhi roads without my camera made me crave it like a pregnant woman craves a piece of dark chocolate.

And so, I very much needed to take my camera out for a walk today. Here is what I saw:

Sleepy seeds, just waking up as I walked by.

A shoe! The other half of this pair was just a few metres away, being used as fuel for a fire.

Callistemons, otherwise known as bottle-brushes.

A thousand different flowers on each stalk. Nature is so, so pretty.

More callistemons!

A lonely mulberry. I think the monkeys ate all the others. Shame.

And finally, a shot for the title.

Oh spring, don't go away.

Holi

Happy Holi, everybody!

Ever since one holi five years ago, where someone managed to dye the inside of my ear bright pink, I've been understandably hesitant about being a part of this festival. I mean, I'm still walking around with pink earwax, so it's hard not to be.

This year was no different. For days before, I was all prepared to lock myself up in a room and watch bad movies all day. But festivals are about about the spirit of the community and all that. So, I steeled my will (tied back my hair, pulled on my combat gear and put on the war nail paint), and went out to be a part of the action.

Of course, I got splashed. And bucketed. And water-ballooned.

And of course, it was fun!

We played with colour, water, flowers...

Wait, flowers?

Yes! We played Braj ki Hori. Holi as it's played in Braj, North India. They play nine different kinds of holi, which means they use not only colour and water, but sticks and flowers, among other things.

It's pretty, isn't it?

And when that was over, we stood there and dried off, in all our multicoloured glory. And rubbed cheeks with friends and family, and filled our bellies with good food, and our hearts with sunshine and happy things.

Mush aside, it's a nice feeling.

So, happy holi again, everybody. Join us next year!

(Hopefully, my earwax will have returned to its normal, non-hot-pink self by then.)

Last Days

It's early days in Delhi spring, and since this season - like autumn - lasts all of one week, we make the most of it. That means more lazy days spent out in the sun, catching memories in pieces of glass. (Don't worry, I'm talking about my lens!)

So say hello to my bumchums, 7m and Mega!


Aren't they gorgeous?


Here they are together. Six percent curious...

Four percent freaked out...

But mostly, just happy.

Baah, I'm going miss you two.