Walks to the Vondelpark

We have found our way to the Vondelpark, K. and I. I live so close by that it surprised him and since the weather has been really good the past two weeks we've frequented the park on warm evenings and sunny afternoons.

K. became so enthusiastic about my kind of photography that he decided to buy a camera himself so that he could walk around with it and look. He found moments of happiness in wondering with a blank mind, open eyes, a clear perception and coming home with a few photographs.

I recognize the feeling: that is what it brings me too. Accept for investing in a camera, perceptions are for free and at the same time they are priceless. Ordinary magic, seeing the magic in everyday life is what still surprises after a couple of years of practicing contemplative photography.

K. went to the Botanical Gardens twice, the first time he saw the tips of branches touching the water and when he wanted to photograph it the battery of his camera was dead. When he came back the second time he saw that it was not the same, the wind had changed, the colour of the water was different and he didn't have the same experience as the first time. So in the end he didn't take the picture.

I recognize that too. Moments are so about being in the now, they can't be reproduced. Five seconds later, an hour, a day, even if it has changed for the slightest bit, it is no longer what I perceived the first time. The moment is gone.

Do you have those kind of moments?

Pizza in the park

Last weekend on one of those warm summer evenings my new sweet K. and I went to the Vondelpark after work. We both didn't feel like cooking and earlier that week I saw that one of the establishments served vegetarian pizzas in the park which were made by a deli right around the corner from my home. 

K. hasn't been drinking alcohol for years and feels great without it so he ordered a soda, I ordered a glass of white beer. I drink sporadically, with all the yoga and mediation in my weekly routine I don't have much need for alchohol and I noticed that the three don't go well together, but I do enjoy an occasional glass.

We both choose the vegetarian pizza and oh boy, it was wonderful! Usually if I eat one in a pizzeria it is not something special, but this pizza was very tasty. 

After dinner we walked around the park a bit and noticed the empty chairs which were waiting to be filled with people at the small open air theatre.

This was a very lovely and relaxing evening and I hope many more will follow. I realize it is all about the moment, what do we feel like doing at a particular moment and can we stay with the joy of fulfilling what we felt like doing or are we rushing to the next need or distraction?

Our resort in Thiruvannamalai, India

My India pictures come in bits and batches, I took so many photos that I have to organize myself and post the items in a specific order so I can handle it all. Please have patience with me.

cow with blue horns

Our second stop in India was Thiruvannamalai, a provincial town at the foot of the holy Arunachala Hill. We spent six days in this town, meditating twice a day in the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharsi.

Our temporary home was the luxurious Sparsa resort, all the pictures in this post are taken in that resort. It was green and clean, the staff was super friendly and greeted us with 'Namaste' whenever we met them. The restaurant served high quality food and the swimming pool was one of our favorite hangouts.

relaxing at the pool

cast iron cover

working at the resort

the gardener

Although it looks very expensive it is quite budget friendly for us Europeans. The resort is a bit out of town which made us dependent on rickshaws for transportation. As this was easily arranged it proved not to be a problem though. We spent our time between meditations either in the resort, climbing the Arunachala Hill, having a massage or taking a lunch in town. The resort showed a different aspect of India that I hadn't experienced before and it was very relaxed.
See also: Auroville, Pondicherry

Practice Day: Moments and People

Today I went to the first practice day in many months, I was so busy before my trip to India that I could not find the opportunity to go any earlier. All the while I felt the longing to go though, these days bring me more into contact with contemplative photography, it's great to talk to peers and to exchange our experiences.

Today's intention was on Moments and People. Last October I took the whole workshop on Moments and Visual Haiku and if one repeated the workshop now it was possible to join just for a day which I did.

I explained all about Moments and People in October's blogpost, so here is just a short reminder. Moments have a fleeting feel: one moment it is there, the other moment is has dissolved. You need to be alert and awake to be able to perceive moments.

And today was an excellent day to be awake and to see moments with people: it was a warm sunny day and there were lots of people on the beach.

I remember that I found this quite challenging last October, but today I felt  more relaxed especially at the beach front. I felt restless for a short while when I was walking through the sand amidst all the sunbathing people and some of them were watching me with my camera. I saw the wonder on their faces. This is still one of my weaker spots. Apart from that I had a great day with lovely people (the other participants) and many fresh perceptions.

India: Pondicherry

While staying in Auroville we visited nearby Pondicherry a few times, we went to see the ashram of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo (no photography allowed), the market, a raw food restaurant, a Hindu temple and some shops of course.

I love markets in general and I love markets abroad. I love the ones in India because of all the fresh fragrances of the flowers, herbs & vegetables and the incredible colours.

 These garlands of flowers are handmade on the market.

Indian lady with braid and flowers

Many of the flowers are used to embellish the Indian ladies and for offering in the temples.

nun doing groceries on the market

woman cutting coconuts

colourful bags for sale

This Hindu temple was just a few steps away from the ashram and it was a very colourful place. I was pleasantly surprised seeing people sitting down on the ground in the temple itself and chatting with each other, the temple seemed also like a meeting place: worshipping and socializing felt like a good combination.

ornamented front of a truck 

man sleeping in front of his(?) shop 

woman working in a blue sari

bull statue with red hibiscus flower

See also part 1 of my trip to India: Auroville

Around here

I've been back from India for exactly two weeks and you are probably wondering why I am so quiet on the blog. Well, right after I came home I caught the flue keeping me stuck in bed for the first week and rather weak during the next week. Apart from that I've been dating a sweet guy recently with a 'beautiful soul' according to a wise woman in India. So I am spending my time differently now and I will have to reorganize myself.

My trip to India was fantastic, but due to lack of energy and time it will take me a little while longer to post my stories than usual. But hey, life is to enjoy it and not to give myself heavy deadlines.

In the week before I took off to India I was asked to take a portrait of a departing professor, see above. After working for decades at our faculty he is a little sad to be retiring.
And last but not least: also just before my trip to India my graphic designer and friend Karin finalized the logo of my new business. As you can see I started using the white transparant version as a kind of watermark in my photographs. More on this in a next blogpost.

India: Auroville

Matrimandir Auroville

Last week I returned from my trip to India, unfortunately with a heavy cold so I was not able to post any photos earlier. The trip was wonderful, I experienced India in its full measure: quiet, noisy, polluted, colourful, stinky and fragranced. You love it or you hate it. I loved it. It was my second time in this country and I felt much more at ease with the hot climate, the noisy people & traffic, the hot food and the dress code. I ventured on this trip for some more yoga and meditation and was rewarded by finding deeper layers of myself. Below is an overview in pictures from our first stop: Auroville, a living community in the south east of India.

flowers fallen from a tree

Ganesha with multiple heads and dried flowers

Hindu temple Auroville

lotus buds

rickshaw driver and Ganesha

chatting girls

women carrying goods

embellished sidewalk

parked motorcycle

Indian tailor

demonstrating pigeon pose