The kid on the bus

On the way back home this evening, I happened to sit opposite a three-year old boy holding a pink balloon. He was with his mother, who looked no older than a elderly girl, and another girl-woman who accompanied them.

The journey back home being a rather long one, I decided to amuse myself, and began playing with the little boy. He insisted on my playing 'Catch' with him, using the balloon as the object to catch. Finally, what began as an simple game between the two of us, grew into something that involved half the population on the bus, as the boy deliberately threw the balloon in a new direction each time it was his turn. When I decided enough was enough, I kept the balloon with me. Then, to avoid dealing with a possible tantrum, we invented this game called 'Give me 5'. The game was basically... nothing. You just had to exchange high fives, and to bring in some variety, you could alternate hands, change directions and so on.

Finally, when we arrived at the stop they were to get off at, the cute kid said bye with a five.

Not a bad ride home.

A hoop that never ends

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends.

These lines from the song 'Colours of the Wind' mean so much. I remember listening to this song as a child, rather taken by the concept of a 'colour-filled wind'.

Trees

I'm blessed with a beautiful tree just outside my bedroom window. It's tall and strong, and despite the proximity of houses on either side of it, it is magnificent in size. I take it as Nature's reminder of the Life Energy running through every living being.

I took a walk in the unexplored by-lanes of a busy road the other day. I was amazed at how little I had seen, despite having lived not too far away from this place for years. There are extremely tall trees here, and walking in their shelter was a quietening and humbling experience. There was a soothing comfort about their presence, as though they protectively enveloped all beneath them.

Expressions

These are photographs of some children I had taken years ago...

Vincent

I love the paintings of Van Gogh. They breathe life. They speak of restlessness and built-up energy, waiting to be unleashed. They reflect the innermost stirrings that drive a human being to follow his will and true purpose of existence.

The thing I find most fascinating, is the way he signed his name . It seems almost gentle in comparison to the aggression of his work. Quite a contrast.

An afternoon with dad

I went camera-browsing this morning. In the process, I realized the immense difference between my desires and my means, and eventually gave up at a point when I was certain that all the desires were floating out of reach. The easiest thing to do would probably be to simply lower my wants.
Which may not be very difficult, coming to think of it.

I spent about an hour in a second hand book-store with my dad, and picked up some good reading material for myself. It's a good thing it's a long weekend. The book-store afternoon was followed by a stop-over for a bite at a nice new place called 'The French Loaf'. This place is small, but has a fresh ambiance and a few interesting black and white photographs on the walls, in clean black frames. Simple, neat and charming. And of course, tasty (not to mention, well-adorned) gateaux.

The only thing disturbing my peace of mind these days is some atrociously loud music that is played in the neighborhood grounds every single evening. It is especially aggravating when you are all provided for with free time, pleasant weather, and a good book. I suppose it is a disturbing outcome of the wedding season.

A striking ray

I saw something beautiful on the way back home. I was sitting on the bus, the lace curtains drawn. (Yes, lace curtains.) A single ray of sunlight found its way through the intricate mesh of lace, and split into the colours of the spectrum.

That was it. A fine rainbow, no wider than a ray.