Saturday 2 June 2012

A blog from the archives!

It must be the drugs that doctor put me on - but I fell for the impulse to browse through old folders in the music and picture and documents sections of my laptop. I realize its hypocritical of me, the extent of fuss I make in having all the pictures from all the events in all of my life - organized, meticulous, abundant - when all they do is rot in some space of my hard disc forever after. My go-to (s) whenever I want to revisit a memory, I tell myself and others. Music is similar too. It's not even funny how much space music takes up on my disc. 

Anyway. Browsing old folders, with a cup of coffee, snuggled in my bed by the window, feeling warm on a chilly day - it's like the stage is set to be transported back to times, and places... and people. I feel a tad overcome by the mix of sentiments. My options are sleeping over all the data crowding the little space inside my bird brain, or getting it out of my system here on the blog - and wont you agree with the latter being more of an idea? I'll go with it. 

Music is too ambitious for a blog post. So pictures we have. Some stolen captures stored away in the archives. Nothing personal - but just... pictures I feel mildly accomplished about. Others that just tell stories of their own. Or others - just to add up to the goof-quotient of the post :D 

Here goes nothing...! 

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Sunset upon the Sognsvann - I know the colors are unreal. I was actually in awe of myself after taking this one, haha, but in the hindsight, I dedicate it to the ah-mazing SLR I borrow-begged from my friend. Really - what could I possibly have to do with such sheer... *fill in appropriate adjectives* I start with it, because first impressions count. =] 

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I know. This one is like blasphemy after the first one =P  But I discovered it after 7 years. Isn't that something to say? I almost looked at it like I didn't recognize it in the folder until it jumped at me! My very first trip to the mart to equip my very first dorm room in my taste. Yeh, so I was like one of those less pampered kids who had to go to shitty places like Meijer's and make good deals. No, I take it back. I was actually far too provided for. But making good deals was the best I could do to feel like I was being... responsible I guess. Looking back, it was good fun. I came back 80 bucks poorer and 3 hours of life gone, says a photo right after this one in the folder, which is a picture of the bill on which I have "scribbled" this exclusive information to refer to in future times like tonight (yes I've been told I'm weird. Ample times.)  Anyway, I can still vaguely feel the memory, as if it were tangible, that feeling after I finally did up my room. It was unlike any other I've had before that, or after, in setting up "my space". There's something about that first time you move away from home, and discover a spot in a new world and make it your own... But without further digressing, see why this one came after that first? 
High EQ attached =) 

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This one is old too. 2007, I think... or maybe 2008. No my name is not Tessa. And it was certainly not my 12th birthday in 07-08. But don't you just love kid birthday parties with a theme? Come on, own up! The only way you can say no to that, is if you're a male. And no, I'm not being sexist - but you know its true =D Anyway. This picture features because I've truly never seen a more awesome cake. I personally helped go to the stupid thrift stores to look up all those jungle animals in it - cleaned and sterilized them so they could be used. It deserves to make this list. I mailed that picture to my Mom later and complained about never getting a cake like that. She had a good answer in return but I shall save myself face on my own blog and not share that. But yeh - isn't that like one helluva cake?! Too bad, there is nothing I can do to trick my fiance into having this to go for our wedding - too wild literally, even by my bizarre standards! 

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From my road trip through North India last winter. This one's in the national capital, on this road they call the "road of rule" - aka Raj Path. How quirky is the shot in that context?! Picked this from a lot of some genius photography by my cousin - because this is just something I would choose to represent memoirs of a road trip =D

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Just a glimpse of a day in the life of me. It's not at home. It's not at school. It's from a writing camp I took over a couple years ago, to this heaven like retreat location. This was the corner I chose for my spread and scatter. And I loved it so much - when I was leaving 3 weeks later, I thought I'd never find a similar inspirational "set up" to write again! Alas - c'est la vie! 
Anyway. So this shot is my personal favorite litmus test poser. If you're one tenth Sherlock, you can tell everything about me, that needs telling, just by studying it. What you can't tell is likely what you needn't know!  

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Nahh, I didn't take that one. I stole it off a friend - because honestly I can never actually get that close to these silly scary and scared animals and manage to click a shot without having them flee miles away from me when I'm still a highway's distance away! Besides it's too good a shot to be my work - the deer actually seem like they're posing - it's another thing they were just "flash struck" for a nanosecond before taking off. A nanosecond that was enough for my vary determined friend apparently, lol! 
So why this shot? It's just... everything that I called home all those years growing up. Maple. Snow. Deer. Yes - it would definitely define what my world looked like, the first two decades of growing up in that suburban moor off-town-limits... until I moved out for studies.

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I don't think most people could tell what this is - it's a Fairy Door. One of the funnest things I've done in my life is hunting the city sidewalks for fairy doors. This shot I post is sadly - I have no idea what I was thinking! - the only picture I have of them for the record, but I think I just got so excited about the whole hunting process, that it didn't occur to me until much later, that I hadn't taken shots! 
So what are fairy doors, is an interesting question to ask and answer. They are these tiny fairy world entrances carved into niches and corners and walls and proper doors - and just about anywhere in the city! You have to be basically be looking for them and you will spot some! It's supposed to be like this secret tourist attraction in Ann Arbor, and I only learned of it from the desk lady at the city Library I went to browse in - because there is one door in that place too! And she told me how this campus town was like home to the concept of "Urban Fairies" and there were doors scattered over the streets and buildings in the town, which were doors into the fairy world. Interestingly not even many locals know about these things! Yet - it's like a vintage part of that vintage town - even though it's a fairly recent concept! And the 4 hours of fairy door hunting I indulged in, has to feature high in the list of coolest things I've done! The fact that here is a place, which actually endorses the concept of a fairy world amidst our own - one you have to seek out with a keen eye - how random and freak-awesome right?! I thought it was quite like Horton finding another world that existed in the speck on a flower! Anyway - to give a better picture of how fairy doors look, where you can spot them, the size proportions of the fairy world - here go some qweet picture links I found on the internet (copyrights belong to original sources of course) 

http://urban-fairies.com/images/PK.pics/PKdoor.closed3-4.jpg  - that's the one I posted a close up of, from my archives. It's called the "peaceable kingdom door" cause it's carved into the side plank of a store called The Peaceable Kingdom. 

http://urban-fairies.com/images/A2L.pics/A2Lshelf3.jpg   -  that's the one in the city library, where the whole adventure of seeking out fairy doors began! =))) 

http://urban-fairies.com/images/NIcolasBooks.pics/N.mantel.jpg   -  above the fireplace mantle in a bookstore. 

http://urban-fairies.com/images/GOOGLE.pics/Ann-Arbor-ConfRm.-Google.jpg   - can you see that door like thing on the top maroon mantle? Here's a close up -  http://urban-fairies.com/images/GOOGLE.pics/Giggle.door.jpg  - so it's a "Giggle" door in the Ann Arbor Google office! I haven't seen this one actually, nor the office for that matter, and don't know if it even existed back when I was hunting for them, because they've been coming up with quite a few new ones I heard! But since I found it while browsing for some samples, thought I'd post it here too - Giggle's kinda cute for Google environs =D 

(phew - this entry grew long...)

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So well. I do think there are plenty of other shots I'd like to share. Talk about. Just revisit old memories through blogging... but since I ran many miles over the fairy doors, I should call it time out here. Maybe more for another time... another post! 

ps: I don't usually say this, because blogging is more like my vent for myself - but it would be awesome if you stumble upon this post and share something like this from your archives! 

Here's hoping everyone's having a swell weekend, until next time...

1 comment:

  1. You are such a good writer..wow
    We all travel through our memories, more often than we admit and hence its only few , talented enough like you are who can pen it down so beautifully..
    I loved your idea, but I dare not even think of trying it..
    but I'll try to go thru my collection and hopefully come up with one pic..I'll try
    Keep writing, it definately is your way to vent, but help us get us over our daily trivia's and stresses..

    ReplyDelete