365 Days of Chicago

"Welcome to my blog. This blog is an attempt to live life to its fullest by capturing the essence of day-to-day life in words and pictures. I am trying to post a picture a day of Windy City, Chicago and write about books, ideas, art, and everything else I feel interesting!"

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Day 245 : Banjaran Beauty

I have have been seeing this painting hanging in my grandparent's house since I was a kid. I used to sit for hours before this portrait as a kid and try to imagine the story behind her beautiful soft eyes. I wanted to share this picture of her with you all. Here is the picture of the day:

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Day 244 : View from an Auto

Auto, a nickname we Indians gave to the Auto Rickshaw is one of the most essential parts of India, without which we cannot work. The only vehicle that can commute to any part of India's local roads is the Auto Rickshaw...No not a car, not even a bike can help you... I took this picture from a running Auto Rickshaw when I saw this poster where a traditional bride's hand tries to meet a techno-hand. Auto is the perfect example for this tradition meets technology. Here is the picture of the day:

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Day 243 : Silhouette

As I searched around for my picture of the day, I saw this man standing on a distant building. The silhouette of this man I felt showed his soul. Here is the picture of the day:

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Day 241 : Lonely

Sometimes, even though you are surrounded by family and friends, you feel lonely. This picture, I felt, symbolically represented loneliness. I saw this pigeon sitting alone between two thick dark walls of a building. Here is the picture of the day:

Friday, June 24, 2011

Day 240 : The Great Manchuria

I am a die hard fan of the Indo-Chinese dish, Vegetable Manchuria. I had always thought that this mouth-watering dish would be available world wide, but I was wrong. One hardly finds Vegetable Manchuria in USA. But after coming to India, I had eaten my heart full after nearly two years. The Srinagar Colony's Hotel Kens' Pebble's restaurant was unassuming, but served one of the most scrumptious meals I have tasted in years. The way they served the food was very good too. Here is the picture of the day:

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Day 239 : Baby Coconuts

Seeing a baby coconut grow from a small flower into a huge coconut is nothing short of a miracle. You hardly find any water around and yet, the tree fills the coconut with sweet water. I have always felt happiness whenever I see a coconut tree. Here is the picture of the day:

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 238 : Lunch in the Window

In a hot summer afternoon, nothing is more tempting than a cool building under construction and a lunchbox in the window....There is something romantic about this window, here is the picture of the day:

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day 237 : Diamond in the Rough

As I searched for my subject to take a picture today, I saw this beautiful woman working in a building under construction. I tried to take a picture and she shyly hid behind a wall. Someone pushed her playfully and she smiled for me...painfully shy. I got my picture of the day:


Day 236 : Best of Both Worlds

I could not believe my luck when I saw these two baskets of red chilies were held down to ground by a cricket bat, both of which are strong symbols of India! India is well known both for its spices and cricket and what a combination they are. This picture represents the best of both worlds in India:

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Day 235 : Waiting

My little monster looked so cute when he was waiting for my sister to come back home. Here is the picture of the day:

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Day 234 : Living on the Edge

As I strolled in the balcony of my second floor building, I saw these construction workers balancing on thin planks of a building under construction. I had to take a picture of this young worker on the edge of a plank in the third floor...Here is the picture of the day:

Friday, June 17, 2011

Day 233 : Guess Who!

Till now, I have been posting pictures for you to enjoy. So a small quiz for you...guess who this is!! Have fun! Here is the picture of the day:

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Day 231 : New Bride's Palm

I had to take a break of one week as my sister got married on June 12, 2011. The bride and groom looked as radiant as the full moon and as happy as any two people in love can be. I will carry forward the 365 days challenge again and hope my regular readers will forgive this week's no posting. My sister looked so happy and she smiled like never before. Mehendi is a traditional art made on palms and foot to make a bride look more beautiful. The leaves are churned soft and applied in different designs and left to dry. The skin turns orange where the leaves stand, giving a beautiful tinge of orange to the skin for a few days. The temporary tattoo is fun to adorn, be it a marriage or a regular day. My sister's mehendi looked fabulous and I had to take a picture for my blog. Here is the picture of the day:

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Day 226 : Beta vulgaris

Beetroot or Beta vulgaris is the vegetable that most don't relish, but eat because it is healthy. With the right amount of the ingredients, it sometimes tastes like heaven. The leaves are also as beautiful to look at, here is the picture of the day:

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Day 224 : King of Fruits II

Summer in India is synonymous to Mango if you are a person who sees the silver lining. Mango is not so common a fruit that it would only have one post. I saw this cute advertisement of Slice mango juice in a mall, where the mango was posed like a king and it was decorated quite beautifully. Many baskets of fruits were spread around the king and the Slice juice bottles were also nestled among these tempting fruits as if to tell that the juice is just like the fruits. The idea was simple yet very effective. Here is the picture of the day:

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Day 223 : No Place

Plants adapt so well that they grow even in small crevices if the conditions are right. What if there is no place on the ground because all humans are building tar roads or covering the ground with concrete, the plants will survive. Here is the proof:

Friday, June 3, 2011

Day 222 : Window View

The light acts differently when it hits a leaf. The illusion of light allures me for it sometimes shows regular normal things in a different light, as if the touch of light has somehow transformed it or morphed it into a something wonderful. Here is the picture of day:

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Day 221 : Reminiscence of Summer

The Rain has set in Hyderabad, India...the trees no longer look thirsty though they droop a little in the hot afternoons. The smell of first rain has set everyone in good spirits... people are buying hot "pakodas" and "bhajjis", kids making paper boats, while newspapers are filled with people enjoying the rain after a long superhot summer. But there are still some signs of the harsh summer in the leaves, which tell their tales at a single glance. Here is the picture of the day:

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Day 220 : Tangled Gulmohar

Delonix regia, or the Indian Gulmohar is one of those flowering trees that everyone has fond memories of....whether it was reciting some king and queen story when plucking its petals or tasting its tangy pollen stalks or using its sepals as monster nails. This Gulmohar was blooming with all its glory, but was trapped in a sea of electric wires, but that did not stop this fiery red tree from spreading happiness. Here is the picture of the day: