eyes on you

i looked closely and realized all eyes are on me. but what first struck me was the color tucked away inside the truck. all that color hidden in the grey surroundings. as usual, click to enlarge and get the full effect. look at the faces in the truck.

and now for something completely different

gawd! i had to tolerate that post all week while in VA. my pc doesn't like the new blogger much but now i'm home on my mac. and i'll be pleased to not have a post about THAT at the top of my blog. not worthy. soooo....

but it may not be all giggles and grins in this post. the DC suburbs are annoying. i have to get a few things that annoy me off my chest:

those "people movers" at Dulles airport.
roller bags in busy places. they take up space where at LEAST one other person could walk.
dirty snow.

ok - that's really it. but they dealt me an inordinate amount of grief today. i think i was just ready to be home. aahhhh.

i picked up the tickets for my next holiday. woohoo! 3 weeks in senegal visiting my sister. how cool is that? it's awhile since my last trip to africa and i'm looking awfully forward to going back. and you'll get to see something other than my pics of india after that. but not yet :)

happy friday!

sucky day

despite the fact that it was my Girl Start day and that usually leaves me happy, it pretty much sucked. i was almost convinced i'd put my (last) disastrously failed relationship behind me, but today it snuck in and left my heart in my throat. literally and VERY unexpectedly. well at least it felt that way tho i'm sure a dr. wouldn't have found my heart there. and it just made me sad. this person turned out to be a terrible person, turned out to be selfish beyond belief and i didn't see it. how did that happen? if i've wanted to be anything, it's to be rational and smart. these are important qualities to me. so to fail completely at that has left me shaken. i've tried to console myself and say he just lied (VERY well - i mean he'd win the Lying Olympics). but gawd, i should have known. i mean, i look back and KNOW that. it doesn't change the fact that i daydream about grabbing his hair and pulling his head down as my knee smashes into his nose. yeah, that image comes to me frequently. so i just had to get that off my chest. you see, if the anger subsides i'm left with the shit. please, let the anger come back.

size matters

hello! i've been meaning to tell you to click on each pic to see a large verison. it makes a TON of difference. i was reminded on my taj mahal post. gosh, it is amazing. please do view the large versions. and the ones in pushkar are quite worthy as well. cheers! ok. should i post another? lemme look quick for another.

love takes many forms....

....but few of them are as breathtaking as the taj mahal, built as a mausoleum by the mughal emperor shah jahan for his wife, mumtaz mahal. so here is my photographic tribute to love!

happy valentines day!

no surprises, but some the best v-day gifts ever! yeah, from me to me but that's irrelevant :). i ordered an engraved iPod and downloaded a ton of music. i ordered some Van's, too. woohoo! it may sound a little juvenile but i say "pah-shaw"!

well, we all know iPods are ageless. but the van's also brought a smile to my face. i graduated from highschool in 1985. we wore Van's with parachute pants and sleeveless T's (which didn't make my v-day list). but who in my generation doesn't wax nostalgic (side note: what does that expression mean?) for sean penn's character jeff spicoli and his van-wearing character in fast times at ridgemont high?

who can argue with insights like "So what Jefferson was saying was "Hey! You know, we left this England place because it was bogus. So if we don't get some cool rules ourselves, pronto, we'll just be bogus too." Yeah?" yes, jeff, that would be bogus!

anyhoo - hope you have a nice 2/14. just make sure you are enjoying life.

Darwin and iPods

i get a kick out of the recent efforts by Carl Kreuger (Senator, NY) to ban the use of iPods and other "gadgets" while in crosswalks. he seems to be under the impression that people are walking into buses, cars and each other while in a state of iPod oblivion.

Michael Stickling at "The Moderate Voice" centrist blog discusses the merits of this argument but also has an observation that is spot-on. From his post:

"Besides, isn’t there something Darwinian about this? If human evolution now means the absorption of technology into the human form, that is, if it means the leap from human to techno-human, shouldn’t we rely on natural selection to weed out those who aren’t able to survive the transition? If you can’t walk down the street listening to your iPod without banging into other people and walking into buses, you may not exactly be a prime candidate for this evolutionary development. You’re making an effort, I know, but perhaps your time has passed."

Hear, hear michael! read the entire post at http://themoderatevoice.com/science/technology/dont-run-over-carl-kruger/

but on the subject of "checking out" with one's iPod: i'm about to acquire my own (yeah, yeah - have i been in a cave?) and i plan to walk the delicate balance between enhancing otherwise tedious experiences (e.g. air and bus travel) and tuning out at times when one should be engaged with one's environment.

for example? i love catching snatches of conversations as i pass by all different kinds of people. it's fun to finish their conversation in my head, to complete their story using my imagination. and i have heard disconnected "ramblings" from a homeless person, a conversation with who knows, that has made me pause and think about that person's life, their experiences and what brought them to that spot. these are things that we need to do so we stay in touch with the world.

you don't get to pick the soundtrack for your life. it will be much more interesting, varied, and intelligent if you let the world around you heavily contribute to it. ok, you can choose the music for the intermissions and credits :).

and a smile is the simplest act of kindness

some times a smile, at the right time and from an unexpected source, can warm my heart so much it brings tears to my eyes.

the kindness of strangers

yes, i believe there is a source for humanity's desire to do good, to come together with our fellow man and BE good. to others it is religion or God or for those who aren't sure or are too afraid to say they don't believe in God; "spirituality". i'm not afraid to say that i think it is an trait acquired through evolution and is critical to the survival of man. it made and MAKES us human. doesn't doing something good for someone else make you feel better than just about anything? and it LASTS.

so why don't we do it more often? i know i occasionally fall victim to isolating myself too much. and i look around and see others who have done so even more than i have. we simply need to be kind more often. that point was driven home today as i read the preface to a compilation of travel stories called "the kindness of strangers. this preface was written by the dalai lama. it begins....

"if we really think about it, our very survival depends upon the acts and kindness of our parents; later in life, when facing the sufferings of disease and old age, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. if at the beginning and end of our lives we depend on upon others' kindness, why then in the middle should we not act kindly towards others?

"anyone who considers himself or herself, above all, a member of the human family should develop a kind heart. it is a powerful feeling that we should consciously develop and apply. instead we often neglect it, particularly in our prime years when we experience a false sense of security.

"kindness and compassion are among the principal values that make our lives meaningful. they are a source of lasting happiness and joy. they are the foundation of a good heart, the heart of one who acts out of a desire to help others."

-the dalai lama

a wise man indeed! i'm ready to be kinder. join me?