Hello and welcome to my new venture – #QOGUIN Series.
Puzzled? Curious? Interested? Intrigued? Well I hope so! Anyway here’s the thing, while shifting houses I seem have to misplaced my muse. Probably off on a vacation which I deserve – but then there’s no rest for the wicked. And since I cannot seem to stay away from blogging either so I hit upon a compromise. I can finally hatch an idea that I have been incubating for quite some time – share some Quirky Odd Good Ugly Intriguing News from all over the world. Perhaps some stuff thrown in from around my tiny world as well.
So, are you game?
I’m not sure if it is going to be a weekly, monthly or even a regular feature. Ahh well we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it right? Hey, here’s an idea? Why don’t you join in? Surely you have something non-fictional to share? Just make a post and drop your link here whenever you’re ready – no rush, no rules. And to prove that I would like to make an earlier post A Salute to the Wall as the first in the series 😀 And all the other positive news that I may have posted earlier, will hunt them out and list them in a dedicated Page.
Today’s article for this series is on underage driving which, as most of us are aware more often than not lead to disastrous consequences. Children, especially in certain Indian Metros are notorious for going off on jaunts, motor racing and stunts late at night and are a danger not only to themselves but also the others. Fed up with repeated unfortunate and countless such incidents, in 2015 the traffic police in Bengaluru threatened to imprison and confiscate driving licenses of parents of underage children caught driving. In fact, scores of parents were booked. But they got off after paying a fine. Finally last month, the Hyderabad police cracked down on errant parents and arrested 69 such irresponsible parents of these daredevil (I’m willing to bet) boys.
This bit of news gave me a lot of cheer and hope. I now wait for the day when parents of daughters who commit suicide and are forced to suffer atrocities at their in-laws are also arrested.
If you wonder at my extreme reaction, perhaps you might like to read my article on Bride Burning, a call to action and my long running fictional piece (most of which is drawn from real-life) – Moonshine.
Thank you for visiting, I am happy to play hostess after a long time 🙂 Do let me know your thoughts and look forward to reading anything interesting – the good the bad the ugly – that you may have to share.
Have a wonderful weekend.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. -R. Buckminster Fuller
I was fascinated by this find and carried it inside for some special treatment
A collection of dried Ashoka tree leaves.
Banana leaves against a cloudy evening sky
Eucalyptus tree standing tall against the litchi trees. Don’t miss the fair elbows!
The greens attempts to tone down the exuberance of the reds
Next I have a really batty tree for you. Yes! those black things are bats waiting for darkness to fall.
A golden tree by the road
A mystery tree with strange tendrils hanging down like some exotic jewelry. Anyone know which tree? Ferdi?
The last one standing at the Chittorgarh fort. Oh the stories it could tell
This one’s having a really bad hair day 😀 Or perhaps it has seen some really hair-raising stuff in its heydays. After all this is the place for committing jauhar and sati.
I clicked this patch of clover leaves hoping to find a lucky four-leafed one at leisure. No such luck yet – what about you?
All neat and tidy, ready to toe the line and follow rules and regulations with not a hair out of place.
And then we have this place where there’s no sense or order, each to her own to be as she likes no questions asked. Which do you prefer?
And finally the Sun kisses this one good night 🙂
The ladies were out for a bit of a munch at brunch
Perhaps share a few confidences away from the old hag and other potential eavesdroppers.
Oh but wait – what was that? Danger!!!
Time for a graceful and disdainful retreat – the leading lady led the way, while a tardy youngster grabbed a mouthful for the road.
Feeling brave, I ventured closer. She gave me a beady glare – No interviews or autographs please. I have other urgent business to attend to – she trotted off on…
And steadies:
Look this way
And that way
A massive storage container. But I cannot quite fathom what exactly they stored – grains perhaps. But how did they scrape the bottom of the barrel? By climbing in I guess. Good place to play hide and seek but only if it is at least half full with solid stuff.
A view of the Chittor fort. These days, Sound and Light shows are held every evening on the lawns. Somehow in the sepia version I can hear the tinkling of anklets, perhaps a teasing laugh and the rustle of silk skirts. Can you?
Next I have a selection of doors – an ordinary wooden locked door
A grade higher – a designer door. It is clearly the residence of someone of some importance.
Just beyond the gate is the battlefield where the Rajputs fought the invaders. Elephants were used in battle and to hammer the gates open. And hence the spikes at the height of elephant heads to injure them – innovative but tragic for the innocent participants.
A steep flight of stairs and as the warning sign indicates very low roofed as well. The City Palace at Udaipur is a maze of such flights of stairs from which there is no escape especially for the scrunched up outsider. Smart thinking eh.
A BW version of street art – the previous post of Cee’s 
Back to the palace walls and its intricate design.
Woody branches waiting for spring to pass before growing leaves to protect itself from the blazing Sun. Strange isn’t it that trees undress during winters and dress up in summers?
It is my ambition to see this live, until then I feast on the blooms that dot Delhi’s horizon heralding the arrival of spring.
Just another Neem tree residing in a palace courtyard with not much to do except litter the place with golden yellow leaves every spring.
Rooted to the spot and bored to her core, she yawns and rustles her branches. Oh the tales she could tell, if anyone cared to listen.
And lo behold she has gathered quite a few fresh green followers glistening with eagerness – now if only one of them could type 😉
See anything you like? The elephant in the middle seems to be a rip off from the one at the City Palace
And why not? Unmatched in size and strength, they are a symbol of power and invincibility.
This is a replica of Chetak the famous horse of Maharana Pratap. Chetak is still revered for his bravery and loyalty towards his master and hence the snout signifying elephant-like strength.
One of the horses of the current Maharaja in its stable.
A saddled horse waits for potential riders with his master.
A decked up camel looking for parking space amongst cars
I tried to capture a bird in flight – did you notice the twig in its beak? An architect!
Look who’s here to catch a flight! How many can you see?
Kitty ponders on the meaning of life – to descend or not to descend
An adopted stray dog chills out on his brand new bed
Loved the coils of the snake in this sculpture
Look who’s taking a stroll on the highway. But of course they are blessed with divine protection. One is the vehicle of Yama Lord of Death and the other a favorite of the Lord of the Lords.
Stories and more 