School trip

school trip

Introspective: This is one of the few photos that I like and I came to appreciate.  This is partly because I was not aware this picture was being taken.  I came to know about its existence about a decade ago by a chance encounter with my secondary school teacher. He gave me this photo so many years later. Thank you, sir!

Sense of silence

Nighthawks

Nighthawks  When I first saw the Nighthawks painting a few days ago, I was taken aback by how Edward Hoppe managed to capture a sense of silence. This painting raises so many questions. What are these people doing so late into the night, do they know each other (e.g couples/friends or even strangers) etc.  The painting captures a feeling of loneliness and isolation that matches Hopper’s description of it as “literally an illustration of loneliness.” Edward Hoppe,  American, 1882–1967

The white cat

Schrodinger's cat

Schrodinger’s cat. Came across this cat during my lunchtime walk resting on the wall daydreaming. Trying to elicit a response to capture an image was met with indifference. The cat ignored me and closed its eyes. It was only when I was walking away it took an interest to look back with a disapproving look!

Yesteryear

Before-photo – fading

That’s me. This cropped image is part of a larger family portrait that was taken in Bangladesh. I had not seen this for many years and almost forgotten that it existed, and it only came to light after a family friend sent this from Spain. My memory is a bit blurred when the portrait was taken, except that it was shot on a hot summer’s day in a local bazaar. Sadly, the passage of time and the tropical climate, humidity, had nearly destroyed the picture, but I’m grateful to the friend for sending the photograph that evoked the memory of my childhood.

This is my first attempt at restoring a photograph. The first left image is fading without restoration!

Hottest chillies in the world

Naga plant

Final curtain callAfter tending to the Deshi Naga Morich (chillies) for 10 months. With the onset of autumn, it’s time to say goodbye to this splendid specimen. This type of Naga is indigenous to Southeast Asia, and it has gained popularity amongst the younger  Bdeshi gardeners in London!  Also see gardeners’ world for different varieties of chillies grown in the UK.

Feeling nostalgic

telephone pole

Mass Communication. Feeling nostalgic seeing one of these phone poles. Once these poles were used to carry voice calls. Today it is used as vital infrastructure for the digital age, making it possible for millions of people to work from home during the lockdown. I suspect these will soon get replaced like the red phone box. Maybe it should get a listed status?