Back to Bangalore

I got back to Bangalore.

Feels like I have come back home.

My awesome flatmate still has a room free for me, so hey, I am back in the same old house with the same old flatmate, in the same old city.

And wait that's not all. After trying so hard to get a job in random, inexplicable areas of interest, and then getting back to my earlier field and visiting every possible advertising agency big and small, my old job comes a'calling. I have no clue why I did not think of that first.

So yes, back to where I was working, where I was living, with who I was living in my favourite city.

Buddhist leanings

Just when I thought I was almost agnostic... I learn more about Buddhism. One of my professors was Buddhist, but he did not preach Buddhism at all. Two of my friends research on iconography in Buddhist art and Buddhist settlements for their final project.

My ex roomie from Bombay visited me. She gifted me a book called 'The Buddha in your Mirror'. I am enjoying the book. And I can feel myself leaning towards the Buddhist principles and thoughts.

Moreover, I like the colour symbolism in Buddhism. The Buddhist colours are red, yellow, white, black, green and blue. (blue and black are sometimes interchangeable in Buddhist colour symbolism)

Wayanad

All women's trip to Wayanad.

Me, my mom, my friend and her mom (who happens to be my mom's friend)- deadly combination.

Took ages to reach the place we were staying at, but it ended up being an awesome place. Treehouses, lots of greenery, on the waterfront, many animals walking all around the property and great food for all meals.

We visited Edakkal Caves- the much talked about caves with one of the oldest carvings and paintings in the country. The climb up was strenuous but totally worth it.

Meenmutty Falls were also beautiful, especially in the monsoon weather.

I recommend a trip to Wayanad to all those who love green and blue :)

Saying Goodbye to Chennai

The one year break that I took was so great that I seriously considered staying on in Chennai.

But then some things didnt work out, and I wondered if I was ready to make that shift, and if I really wanted to do that.

Finally I bid adieu to a very sweet and loving bunch of people who studied with me for that one year. And to a few others I met along the way.

I gave up the place I was staying at. I said bye to the rude, intrusive, mean landlord and landlady. I went to the Barista facing Elliot's Beach one last time. I gave away a few of my things to those who might like it. I walked around Besant Nagar one last time.

I boarded a train and went back to Kerala.

Living in the hospital

A strange turn of events.

My father was hospitalised for a record 72 days. He is much better now and back at home.

But those days spent in the hospital were hmm... lifechanging to say the least.

You feel different about everything.

Waiting outside the ICU, making friends with fellow bystanders of patients, talking to the security guards and nurses, going for long walks around the hospital, taking turns with my brother, and learning the various routes to get in and out of the hospital were all that we did.

I finished reading an entire book on Greek Mythology as I waited outside the ICU.

My brother drew, clicked snaps, and wrote a lot.

After many days my dad got shifted to the room. Then there was a change in our daily routine. We came up with new games to play, to entertain my dad, to get him to talk, blah blah.

I became friends with a few of my relatives, who I hated earlier.

I understood the importance of the support system of a family.

I realised the major role that contacts in high places plays in getting a room in the hospital, and in getting space in the ICU!

I found out how helpless people are when you can do nothing but put your entire trust in the medical authorities and just hope that they know what they are doing.

I smile when I think of how unconditionally my cousin helped us out.

I am amazed at how efficient and grounded my brother is :)

Well those days went on and on... very slowly.

But yes, it finally ended when my dad got discharged from the hospital after 72 days, much thinner, much dazed and on a very strict diet and medication plan.

Brainstorming for Museum Revamping in Kerala

I was part of an interesting group of people who got together to brainstorm on ideas for revamping and contemporarising museums in Kerala.

Met some very knowledgeable people- a History professor, Benny Kuriakose- one of the most sought after architects around, a phd student, a museum curator, a journalist, a college principal, a member of the tourism department, and many more. The discussion happened in the Kerala Tourism Guest House in Cochin and it went on for the entire day.

An interesting day, as I heard a lot of them discuss myths, historical facts, museum design, budgets and marketing ideas.

Panchavarna- the 5 colour principle in Kerala

Working on the final project for the completion of the one year course.

I have obviously fallen in love with 'Colours' in the past one year. In the stories behind colours. In the stories that colours tell. and in the stories that define the usage of colours in different parts of our world.

I studied 'Colours in Kerala- Past, Present and Future'. Traveled to different parts of Kerala. Met various artists, experts and academicians. Analysed about 20 art forms of Kerala, from the point of view of colours used in those.

The Kerala Mural Paintings introduced me to the concept of the Panchavarnas- or the five colours- black, white, red, yellow and green. These are the only colours used in this style of painting. The surprising element here is that blue is not part of the colour scheme, even though in most theory or studies about colours and paintings, blue is included as one of the primary colours. Primary colours are those that cannot be created from mixing any other colours, therefore basic or primary. Red, Blue and Yellow are the primary colours. Then why is Blue not used in one of the most amazing styles of painting in the country. And the interesting part is that blue raw material is used to form the colour green to be used in these paintings, but blue is never used as is.

Taking the study further, I realised that the same 5 colours are used in all the art forms in Kerala.- Kathakali, Theyyam, Mohiniyattam, Kalaripayattu, Koodiyattam, and many more. There is an absence of Blue. If at all blue is used, it is in later additions in stage, costume, etc., and not in the character defining makeup or symbolisms.

The strange absence of blue and the reasons for it were explored.

There were different theories for the usage of the five colour system as well.

Political, religious, social and cultural colours were explored. The major political party flags also do not use blue. Except for Judaism, where blue is significant, there is not much emphasis on blue in the other religious symbolisms that exist in Kerala. The traditional attire of Kerala has white, gold (yellow) which is often used along with green, red or black. Blue is not so common.

With the advent of the paint companies to Kerala, the beautiful character that was originally present in the brown and white houses of Kerala went for a royal toss. There are psychedelic blots that dot the neighbourhood. Bright orange, parrot green, candy pink- you name it you have these ugly colours for home exteriors and its almost painful looking at these, and highly depressing to know that this is what has come of the old world charm of the architecture with so much character in Kerala.

In short, with the media clutter, logos of multinational and national brands fighting for space, and confused preferences as a result of globalization, Kerala too is moving towards a postmodern almost kitsch colour scheme.