My Blog has moved!.... Блог переехал!...

Мой блог переехал на новый адрес:





My blog has relocated to the new address:



http://www.heyvalera.com/


































January 21, 2007

Where in the World I have been...


"http://www.world66.com/community/mymaps/worldmap?visited=CAUSARAZBYBEEEFRGEDEHUIEITLVLTNLRUESUAUKVATRKRTMAUIN"

January 19, 2007

Goodbye, Bombay!...

Photo by Valera Meylis 2006. Click me to see a larger image

The last glimpses of Bombay sun and I am off to the airport....
Photos by Valera Meylis

January 18, 2007

Bombay Day 2: At the Museum

















At the Prince of Wales Museum (now renamed into something unpronounceable). Entrance fee for an Indian is 20 rupees, for a foreigner - 300 rupees.



Муха из слоновой кости. Однако!...
Вспоминается старый эстетский анекдот
Сидят мухи на куче дерьма. Вдруг одна из них с отвращением в голосе вскрикивает: "Ой, девочки, волос!.." Другая муха ей с презрением: "Наташа, ну мы же кушаем!".
Познакомьтесь, это - Наташа!


A staircase from Escher.



Plenty of stuffed animals at the natural history wing.









At the train station. The food delivery from the suburbs to downtown offices, so that office workers can enjoy food prepared by their mothers/wifes/sisters is impeccable. It is run by illiterate people on public transportation without any documentation with less than a error in a million transactions. One of the very few Sigma Six certified enterprises. Stunning...







Back to images of poverty, which is everywhere.... I used to be against outsourcing, now I am an ardent proponent of it. It helps them so much more than it "hurts" us, if anything it should stipulate us to work better and harder.

January 17, 2007

Bombay/Mumbai: Day 1








First steps out of the hotel, which for some reason was not familiar to many locals :( The four-star hotel faces the Arabian Sea, almost invariably covered in smog.









More views of the beautiful promenade - Chowpathy.

Photo by Valera Meylis 2006. Click me to see a larger image
I did ask his permission before taking a picture. He just smiled.








Around Bombay University so many people stopped by and warned me that this is a security building, no pictures - the claim that I heard everywhere in Bombay. A quick reply "no money" normally got rid of these people.









In a strangely named Horniman Circle (maintained with the Tata money, as most of Bombay), I sat near the sleeping man who after 3 or so minutes, got up, yawned, scratched, moved to a different edge of the bench and fell asleep. Dolce far niente....










On the streets of Bombay one can meet everything!








Around one of the very few touristy things in Bombay - the Gateway of India, where dozens of "agents" try to sell you tickets to Elephanta Island standard, deluxe or super deluxe, the only difference would be the price and your gullibility. The boats are all the same.




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The Elephanta Island, where the Portuguese soldiers saw the statue of the elephant, is another tourist attraction. It takes an hour on the boat and constant haggling by the vendors to get to the caves. You can't photograph most of it as whoever can speak asks for money. That is why you see a picture of monkey, boats, dogs, and me.








Glimpses of extreme poverty and abandonment.

Photo by Valera Meylis 2006. Click me to see a larger image
The absolute highlight of the trip - FOOD! Glorious, delicious, vegetarian - all spices freshly ground, all prepared by innumerable people in the kitchen. Amazing! I am in love.

Photos by Valera Meylis

January 16, 2007

January 7, 2007

Chris Bliss Juggling Finale

It is rarely that I experience such an amazement for human ingenuity, talent and inventiveness. Watching three tennis balls for four minutes can make me proud of being from the same species as Chris Bliss who is performing this amazingly choreographed juggling act.


January 6, 2007

Today at the beach...










The sunset at the beach...











My friend and his dog Nina.
Photos by Valera Meylis