This is the year ... I hosted a cat

I've been remiss in updating the blog this year, but, in a mad dash to make up for it, I'm trying to fill in the blanks.

A most beautiful cat and sweet tempered with it.  Yet every single time I tried to take a picture I got a look that would freeze your soul.

Despite the look of unalloyed hatred ... this was the year I hosted my most glamourous house guest ever.

Faces on Oriental Buildings

I was taking a wander around the Fort area of Mumbai, one of my favourite spots for Gothic architecture.  I stopped off to say "hello" to the Flora Fountain.

Nearby, sits the impressive Oriental Buildings, originally a school and fully armed with spires, intricate carved borders and arched windows,

It has three carvings of Dead White Men which I zoomed in on to get a closer look.

The centre one looks Shakespearean but I have no idea, and can't find out, who the other two are.  Any ideas out there?

Balloons of Bombay

I've posted on the big balloons before but I'm still not over them.  How many balloons are sold in a day?  Who is the Balloon Master?  Why are the ones in the packets puny specimens?  How much would I have to pay to get a genuine big balloon?  What would I do with one if I actually bought it?

 "This is a BIG, big balloon" he said, "The biggest" I agreed.

Meanwhile, dejected,  just a street away a balloon seller hawks a smaller big balloon.

Kala Ghoda 2014

A three month break is just too long.

I got out of the habit of taking pictures, or I got too precious about it. The light is wrong, it's too busy, it's too quiet, it's too early or too late. One way or the other I spent too long not taking pictures and complaining about not taking pictures. So Kala Ghoda Arts Festival came around and Saturday morning found me waiting for it to open so I could get in before it got too crowded.

Here are a few images:

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 Incredulous India

 Bollywood Mover

More soon.

Cock o' the walk

Now I'm perfectly familiar with the concept of a city being a series of interconnected villages.  What I'm less used to is the villagers bringing their animals with them but in Mumbai it's fairly common.  There are a surprising amount of chickens in the city and this fine fellow struts his stuff just a few minutes walk from the Bentley showroom. He's showing some city living damage but is still Cock o' the Walk.

A city of contrasts?  Indeed it is.

Colonnades

There are some lovely buildings in Mumbai in various states of repair and most of them are very photogenic.  I'd somehow got through nearly two years here without going out with the express intention of photographing buildings.   I'm taking steps to amend that error and in recognition of that, here's a colonnade:

I like colonnades, my absolute favourite types are the SE Asian shophouse covered walkways complete with clashing tiles and and goods spillling out onto the streets. That said, there's a lot to be said for a nice British colonial colonnade too and this one with the Salvation Army shields and colours is amongst my favourites in Mumbai

Pigeons

Everywhere you look, there are the pigeons.  Above you, beneath  your feet, perching at eye level, peering in your windows and, on occasions, flying right at your lens

This one was on a direct flight path between the Gateway to India and me.

I rather like the much maligned pigeons despite their droppings, their noise and their clear animosity towards me.  Here is a previous pigeon encounter.

They, like the street dogs, have a well developed survival instinct.  Mumbai wouldn't be quite the same without them.

Ganesha Ornaments

It's time for a new blog header picture so I chose this one, colourful, hand painted Ganeshas. 

I found them at the Khala Goda Arts festival and this is one of the few pictures taken there, it was just too busy but serves me right for turning up on the last Saturday afternoon of the festival.  It was a jolly crowd though all hell bent on getting their pictures taken with the installations or swarming over the stalls selling all manner of bright and beautiful things.  I'll go again but go earlier next time.

Swimming Against the Tide

The last in my current collection of pictures taken from Mumbai trains. I love that I can hang outside the doors and get angles like this, at least I can during the relatively quiet times when I travel. I wouldn't want to attempt it during rush hour, in fact I wouldn't want to attempt the trains during rush hour if I could possibly avoid it.