Oranges

Why is an orange orange? Is it that the colour is named after the fruit? Or is it the fruit named after the colour? This seems to be like the chicken and egg story. But orange is not the only fruit which is also a colour. Olive and Peach are two other fruits which are also a colour. One more interesting thing about the word orange is that it is probably the only word in english which does not have an exact rhyming word. Amazing ... you never even think of such things. Language is only as interesting as you can get interested in it.

Books

This post is coming on the occasion of World Books Day. Well i wont say much on this post (maybe as i have already written a lot on my other blog). Just one quote

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

Groucho Marx

Brushstrokes

Few days back while returning home from work, i saw this beautiful 'brushwork' in the sky. With the setting sun giving the clouds a beautiful golden hue, it was looking so beautiful that i had to stop in the middle of the traffic and take a snap. However beautiful things man may make, but it is hard to come anywhere close to the nature.

Leisure

This snap was taken sometime last monsoon when i had gone on a drive. It always reminds me of a poem which we had in school, "Leisure".

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

by William Henry Davies

Stamped

This weekend while cleaning up my cupboard i found a box in my drawer. A box full of postal stamps. Indian stamps and stamps of various countries. As kids, my friends and i were avid stamp collectors. Pestering anyone and everyone who remotely had a chance to get a mail from any other country. Spending the weekends dipping the envelopes in water to peal off the stamps. Exchanging the duplicate ones and bringing to school any new stamp we laid our hands on to show it to everyone. Squabbling over the "exchange price" of stamps , asking two or more stamps for some really rare duplicate ones. That was all a really long time back. i dont remember making any much of addition to this collection since leaving the school. And i really doubt if there will be here onwards. The internet, email and instant messaging has now made snail mail a thing of past. In coming years these stamps may become a rare commodity, probably seen only with philatelists.

Lines

Do these lines on palms really mean something? Do these lines tell us our future? What is the purpose of these lines? Do these lines really make us who we are? i don't know... But this add that is aired on the television tells us how all through our lives we are governed by some lines ... but these lines don't make much of a difference, the only lines that matter are the lines that we make. Beautiful ... isn't it?

Lines can keep you in,
lines can keep you out.

Some lines you don't understand.

Some lines you can erase,
some...you can't.

Some lines you wait for.
Some lines make you wait.

Lines can keep you alive.
Lines are with you till the end.

But the only lines that matter,
are the ones you make.

The Flowers

Yesterday evening i had nothing to do so i decided to drop by and check some books at some roadside bookwallahs around Deccan. I parked my bike and crossed the road using the Garware bridge subway. I still remember ... few years back this subway used to be so very dirty, full of filth n garbage with shady looking characters n beggars all over the place. I used to be scared to go down the dark n dimly lit corridors under the bridge then. Well fortunately things have changed a lot since then. Though the subway has become much cleaner ... got rid of the beggars and all, once you get out of the subway you can still see people selling vegetables, fruits books, CDs n DVDs and other knick knacks right in the middle of the filth. But yesterday just coming up from the subway i was greeted by these fresh flowers and for a change the subways which i used to fear looked very nice and pleasant.