You are only Bala, no?

Some phone conversations are memorable. Several years ago, I was part of one such conversation on my mobile. The time: sometime between late night and early morning. The location: a friend’s place, partying. The person on the other side of the line: a young lady with a shrill voice and a strong kannada/tamil accent. Here goes…
My phone rings.
Ding! Ding!
Me: Hello?
Lady: Hello?
Me: Hello? Yes?
Lady: Hello? Bala speaking?
Me: Sorry ma’am, you got the wrong number.
Lady: Hello? I want to speak to Bala?
Me: Sorry ma’am, I am not Bala.
Lady: You are not Bala?
Me: No ma’am.
Lady (every word drawn and stretched, the way only women can): Heyyyy, you aaar only Bala. I know you are Bala.
Me: No ma’am, I am not Bala.
Lady (petulantly): I know you are Bala. You always fool me like this only.
Me: No ma’am, I am telling you I am not Bala.
Lady: Ai, you are only Bala, no?
Me: Well ma’am, I am not Bala, but if you still insist, I have no problem speaking to you.
Click!
Some phone call that!

Smell the roses

We took off on a longish vacation last week. The destination was a small town off Manali. Enroute, we had a day in Chandigarh and we took in the sights and sounds of Corbusier's very well planned and well laid out city. The best part of the day was the visit to the Rose Garden. We reached the place late evening, immediately after a light drizzle just as the sun was beginning to set and were immediately captivated. Acres of well manicured gardens, swathed in green and dotted by thousands of roses in vibrant hues... A picture is worth a thousand words... here are a few of my favourites... Other than blowing up and cropping the edges, the images have not been touched up / photoshopped in any manner.This one is my favourite... just look at the intricate folds...
Another favourite... the hues are mindboggling...
Magical... Wish I had a pro camera with a better macro lens...
I want to blow this up into a 4 x 5 and put it up in the drawing room...
The effect of sunlight streaming through the 'water lens' is captivating...
Need I say anything...
Vibrant...
I just love the effect that a black and white snap gives... unfortunately, there isn't a good photo lab that develops b&w negatives on silver paper...