A unique team bonding exercise

Arrright! What better way to have a fun team outing than to gather together and go plant trees?

About 10 of us headed to J.P Nagar 7th Phase, to plant trees with the help of the Treesforfree.org who "plant trees for free to heal the earth." :D

It was a wonderful experience! We got to the site where the planting was planned and the volunteers from TreesForFree were already there with the saplings and neatly dug holes that would be the future homes for these saplings.

We had around 21 saplings to plant and as we got on with the dusty, tiring but fulfilling work of doing so a couple of residents from the locality came over to help us out water the saplings and plant them.

The best part of this for me was to see 2 kids, come with little pails of water to water the saplings :) They did this off their own accord!

This is how the TreesFor Free works:

- You get in touch with them and they will tell you the location where the trees are to be planted
- They choose these location only after enquiring whether the locals would support planting of trees and would water them for the next few months
- Pay 100 rupees per sapling and go plant a tree!

I have had lots of team outings with great food, wine and dance, but none has been as satisfying as the one today!

Thanks to Sripad and Anand Vishwanath for organising this.

I would highly recommend this to all those of you who care about your environment, here is a chance to do something simple but useful!


Here are some pictures


Luka planting the first one


A kid who came to help us water the saplings


The whole gang

Dev D

This movie deserves its own separate review :D

Abhay Deol and Anurag Kashyap's take on Devdas works wonders.

If Dilip Kumar's Devdas was classical music this is the rock version, both great in their own ways, the acting is fantastic. Abhay Deol as usual impresses with his attitude and ability to carry a movie off single handed, though this time he is supported by some brilliant acting by Kalki(Chanda) and Mahi Gill (Paro).

This is Devdas on dope, vodka and ecstasy. The story line remains more or less the same but at the same time it is different in its treatment and in how each character handles the situation.

The music is great! especially the 'Patiala Ke Presleys' and Paradesi.

Anurag Kashyap, the director, excels ! Hoping for more such movies from him ('Gulaal' looks promising!)

If this movie was batting it would hit a sixer of each delivery!

A must watch!

White London

I read in a newspaper that it had not snowed this much in 18 years and it was the first time that anyone can remember that all the buses were taken off the road...

I thought it was beautiful :)

Here are some pictures

From the window:)


The window again


Gherkin

Portobello Road

Getting hung up all day on smiles
Walking down portobello road for miles
Greeting strangers in indian boots,
Yellow ties and old brown suits
Growing old is my only danger

Cuckoo clocks, and plastic socks
Lampshades of old antique leather
Nothing looks weird, not even a beard
Or the boots made out of feathers

- Cat Stevens

I love open markets, and when in London I make sure to visit the many many open markets that are here.

Camden and Greenwich have been my favourite so far, but today I happened to visit the very famous Portobello road market :)

Its a fantastic place. From what I had heard of it, I was expecting it to be great, yet, I was not prepared for what I found there. 2-3 miles of open market, selling anything and everything under the sun.

Just the most fantastic of books, maps, gas masks from the II WW, food, London souvenirs, binoculars, telescopes, old cameras, masks, miniature musical instruments, scarves, cricket bats signed by Len Hutton, old style footballs, boxing gloves...

Phew! the list is never ending.

The market itself is right in Notting Hill (yes, same place as the movie), The best thing I liked about this place was this store that sold metal plates of old advertisements, street signs etc

Portobello road, as I saw it, was divided into 3 sections, the fashion market, where clothes and accessories were being sold, the antiques market, where all kinds of antiques were on offer and the food market, where one could buy fruits or fresh bread, hot dogs, sausages, corn pasties or the good 'ol hot chocolate.

Here are some pictures that I managed to get :)


Typical London Street Sign


Quaint buildings


Just before it got crowded


err the crowd pours in...


Boxing equipment for sale !


Jugs, Mugs, Pots and Pans


Satchels, Uniforms and Gas Masks!


I got a beautiful bus from this store, last piece they had :)


Yes you did! Scrabble tiles painted on a wall :)


The store I liked best !! brilliant



That's all folks!

p.s: Its going to snow tomorrow apparently *rubs hands in anticipation*