Thorn Tree

I see these around the place, not so many of them in towns but there's one near my flat. They are not the trees to lean against or do anything else against for that matter.

I haven't found out the correct name for this yet so for the moment it's the Ouch Tree.

Seasonal changes

It's getting hotter, the cool days are gone for another year and it's getting more humid. The skies are becoming greyer and the nights hotter. I've seen a few banks of clouds rolling in from time to time but none as spectacular as these seen at sunrise two weeks ago:

Monsoon is still a good way off but this looked as though it was going to be a storm of epic proportions. It was just a freak of the light and conditions and in a few moments it had gone and the skies were clear. Still, it was pretty dramatic looking.

Beach time

I wasn't sure about how I would take to Goa. For sure I was up for a bit of in-your-face tourism with all the cocktails, beach loungers and eating places geared to the international beach bum. I wasn't too keen on the by product of all that, lots and lots of other people looking for the same thing but as it turned out I struck lucky. A guesthouse backing onto a busy beach at a part of the beach that wasn't too busy so if I angled my book right the place looked almost deserted.

I had a hammock at my beck and call

Visitors were few and very cute

Beach vendors were photogenic and not not too pushy


with just the right amount of creative framing the beach looked lovely

I've just realised, I didn't have one cocktail! Just as well I'm going back to explore another part of Goa in a week.

The Worlds' Most Stupid Product...

...probably

Imported from Thailand. Coconut water packaged in a plasticised carton, inside a plastic coconut, wrapped in a plastic label. Cost 120 rupees. Additional value? Sugar added.

Or you could just buy this:

Branding Nightmare

There are times I am entirely stumped by the brand names that appear on things. This is one of those times.

Who thought this was a good idea? Who agreed? Why has no one pointed out the error of their ways? And generally, WTF?

The weekend

Sometimes I wrack my brain trying to think of a theme to hang around the pictures I post. Not this time. Here are some unrelated pictures I took last weekend around where I live.

Aarey Milk Colony, grass being harvested to feed the buffalo which provide the milk that gives the place its name. I don't usually get this view from above as my flat is at a more oblique angle.


A short stroll away from where I live is Sai Baba Complex, older style flats set around streets shaded by mature trees. Washing is generally dried at, or just outside windows. The grills provide security, ventilation and decoration and are cunningly designed at just about the right width to stop pigeons getting in.


I get roped into taking pictures of all sorts of things, this particular weekend it was swimming.

What's in a name?

Ever on the lookout for brands that wouldn't sell so well elsewhere I'm delighted to present the snack-combination-to-beat-all-snack-combinations.

A delightful Full Toss followed by...


some satisfying Cheezooz.