day at camp

in case you've ben wondering the hell i been doing here...i wake up around 7am and join "line-up" at 7.30m, which simply means ALL at camp gather at one place before breakfast. so we're about 160 kids, 18 counsellors, facilitators n us delegation leaders. the kids have their own program n we have ours. we "dialogue" from 9 to 12.30 ...in small groups or all of us together, discussing the nature of conflict betw respective countries - india pakistan, israel palestine, etc. can be quite explosive sometimes.
afternoons, usually are free...we sleep, play volleyball, swim, or go out to portland or freeport. dinner is at 5.30 which is the hardest part:(
evenings, there's usually some activity, like last evening we the DL's did a treasure hunt for the kids n had a song n dance by the bonfire. the weather here is totally fickle! you can wake up to a nice bright sunny warm day n then an hour later the fog rolls in n it begins to rain making it all cold n wet.

camp site

here you go guys, eat your heart out!...my cabin by the lake!camp site, lake pleasant spread over a mile of waterfront, the camp houses over 200 people, mostly teenagers from around the world, counsellors, facilitators n delegation leaders like me. has a baseball field, basket ball, tennis courts, volleyball n of course the entire lake to swim, go boating, sailing, etc...

i mean, what a far cry from the camps we used to go to while at the ssl in xaviers. two of us went a couple of days earlier to dig bogs (loos) for the 40 that would follow. buy provisions, arrange transport, etc. but i think i've said that before ;)

off to america!

"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all gone to look for Americanew york arrived under cover of pre-dawn...i'll need to fly in again just to see more!

football nights n late mornings!

the european cup's been throwing too many suprises too late...am so pissed off that holland is out n my favs portugal :( germany is so boring, so i'm gonna be rooting for russia!

go see persepolis!...now

n if you haven't read marjane's satrapi's graphic novel yet...then do so, quick! it's just fantastic. the story itself n of course the illustration is brilliant in it execution n detailing, stark gripping tale of a young outspoken girl growing up in tumultuous iran. the film takes the novel to even greater heights - the way they've maintained the integrity of the style n adapted it to motion so beautifully!...go see!

off to camp!!

yes! so it is all happening...am off to an international youth peace camp by the lake pleasant in maine, usa!...as a delegation leader of 12 teenagers from india who will interact with other teens from around the world, from nations in conflict...india, pakistan, afghanistan, israel, palestine, lebanon, egypt, morocco, yemen, etc. it is a us state dept funded project called seeds of peace. no, not a shooting assignment...need to take the kids there n bring them back n be responsible for them at camp. 3weeks starting 24th june...with daily discussions/interactions in order to get to know each other better, reduce hatred n foster peace among the next generation...
all very well this, but we should not forget that the us has been the main culprit in a lot of the ongoing conflict n hate we are experiencing across the globe today. a good way to assuage guilt n spend some blood money, i guess ;) "they're not all bad, ajay", some of my friends have been beseeching me...
but i am so looking forward to this camp...while at xavier's we used to go to a rural camp in nov every year to do some kind of manual work at the jesuit-run schools in talasari distt. we dug wells, foundations for school buildings, helped build roads, etc. for 10days we'd be cocooned in some desolate village with no access to running water, electricity n toilets. two of us would go earlier n dig loos, organise rations n transport for the group of 50 that followed. we'd work our butts off n enjoy every minute there. but more than anything else, i learnt a lot there...learning for life - they'd call it. a lot of my insights i gained there which helped shape my outlook to life...
almost 20years later, i'm off again to camp...will keep you posted! :)

second workshop in goa

so once again the dried leaves were swept off n the fallen over-ripe cashews cleared...up went the blue tarp while tino n me anxiously waited for the participants to stream in. we weren't expecting a deluge for sure! but yes, to break even this time...by 9.15, we had 9 paying participants and we both smiled in relief. the previous evening, the sky grew dark n with the cloudburst, we lowered our expectations too! cursing the fact that we had to postpone this workshop till end may (thanks to paachvi pass)... >but all that was a haze when this enthu bunch landed up. from benaulim, from altinho, from vasco... the youngest - a 4th std boy n the oldest, a granmom...and two special kids! this time, we wanted to explore "summer" as a theme. but that kinda fizzled out with the overcast wonderfully cool weather! we started with associations, imagery n drawing before moving to story-telling. they brought along their digital cameras n wanted to know everything that was on it! tino did his thing - began with clay n went on to tile painting. o we even made it to the newspapers this year ;) n tino to page 3!!pooja, my niece came along...in her final year at shristi, i was keen she help me here. anything for beer n sausages, she said!! in fact, she even took the entire session one day when i had to fly back for p pass! the best part, this year was the decision to do a half day workshop. that way, afternoon siesta is taken care off n evenings by the sea gauranteed ;) but the bad part was we were hopelessly short on time, esp for the film-making part. we never got there. on the last day, one of the boys goes, "uncle, when's the next workshop?"...i beam widely, "soon, perhaps diwali"...then, i'll pursue once again my idea of exploring a theme, learning different media n then choosing any medium - be it clay, drawing, theatre, film, photography, writing to express oneself. We drove to the verna springs n tino goes shit shit shit...it's a mess now. empty beer bottles, styrofoam cups, food plates, etc...the usual gandh...and the spring reduced to a mere trickle...thinking about taking up issues/projects like these and get into every aspect thru a workshop/camp...what say you?

alien in transit!

...while applying for a US visa, you need to mention if you've travelled to the us before n what visa was issued to you. some lifetimes ago i went there as a cameraman on-board a cruise ship...a c1 visa it was...an alien in transit is what popped up!! :) ahay noronia, i was...very alien indeed!!
this time round i hope it's a regular b1 visitor visa...going there for an international peace camps for youth from conflict areas around the globe...more about that later...

here today there tomorrow!

what a month it has been...one weekend in delhi, the next in amba with the family, following weekend in goa...phew!...and if that wasn't enough, the guys at paanchvi pass decided to shoot the grand finale tomorrow, so i flew in back to bombay n fly back day after...dimaag ka toh poora dahi :)

the noronha clan @ amba ghat

the don looks on
the noro clan on the edge ;)
into the valley of death walked the six hundred!
paavan khind - 12km away from the resort...an area rich with maratha history...panhalal n vishaalgadh forts...here it was that auranzeb's troops were ambushed by a handful of bajirao's men...chatrapati shivaji maharaj ki jai!
sunil - the charming resort owner, energetic story-teller, excellent driver n cook...all rolled into one!
the deccan plateau rises over the western ghats

the cheera collection

cheera or cheerai are these laterite blocks used for construction in the konkan region...nice backdrop they make huh?! that's gaurav-mynephew, karen-my niece, lina-my sis in law :)

here we go again!

so the noronhas are off again!...this time to amba...bang in between ratnagiri n kohlapur nestled in the western ghats/deccan plateau. this annual family picnic thing which my mum does is getting to be quite a hit with the family!...anil helped design a resort there - hornbill, n we're all looking forward to a weekend of togetherness n rest n birds n of course the occasional rum n cola!...cheers!...will post pics when i'm back.

there's a lot we're celebrating - lina n jim's birthday, anillinababa shifting to chembur, anil's exciting new job...n mum's bday in advance ;)

bbye bd12f pic post

untitled

Sitting there slightly bent at his usual place at the table, he stares deep into the mosaic floor. These things are all transient, he says to me without looking up…after rattling off some figure in crores. His memory hazy… he recalls with so much pride the flat he bought way back in the early 70’s. After a full life, he now contemplates losing the last one big thing that was his…that had HIS name!

The world’s a blur around him now as his family whizzes in n out anxiously salvaging all that remains – memories, fragments, furniture, heritage, photographs, sarees, more memories. I don’t pick up anything…nothing here in mine…instead, I pick up moments…fractions really. Faces... in extreme close up…eyes, fingers, an outstretched hand…dust, light, shadow…over a hundred in one day! I surprise myself.

A smile breaks through…eyes moisten…laughter bounces off the bare walls…i move from room to room, face to face…the fragile soul slowly revealing…diving deeper. An email from afar ruptures the cracks, the floodgates burst open… I still don’t have the nerve “to make the final cut”!

my second summer workshop in goa

SummerTime - The Second Summer Workshop
in association with Red Earth Pottery, Verna
27th to 31st May 2008 9.00am to 1.00pm

A 5 day multi-media workshop introducing adults and children to the exciting world of digital video, photography, music, theatre and art. We will learn exciting new ways to express ourselves and learn about the environment around us.

The theme of this year’s workshop is “Summer”. What does the “Summer” mean to us? What are the memories, the textures and stories it evokes. Using various media, we will explore and deepen our own understanding of how it affects us. Participants will be encouraged to write, draw, paint, use clay and drama to express their ideas. In doing so, they will also learn the basics of creative writing, story telling, digital photography, film making and theatre.

The Workshop will be conducted by Valentino Gaspar and Ajay Noronha at the Red Earth Pottery Studio. It is tucked in a quiet verdant corner of Voddlem Bhath at Verna, 2km away from the old Panaji-Margao highway.

Valentino Gaspar – is a ceramic and terracotta artist who runs the rustic Red Earth Pottery Studio. He is an accomplished stain-glass restorer and theatre director.

Ajay Noronha – is a film-maker, cameraperson who divides his time between big television game shows, documentary film and teaching.

Course fees: Rs 1000 inclusive of consumables like paint, clay, video tape, etc. Please carry your own compass box, brushes and camera (if you have one).

Registration open! Hurry, limited seats only.
Email: redearthpottery@rediffmail.com or noro69@gmail.com
Call: Tino (0832) 6555862 or Ajay 09820291396

he's out! n let's make sure he stays there

so at last the madman has been red-carded! kps gill should be tied to his bed post n not be allowed anywhere near women's derrieres n astroturf. of course, the sheer lunacy of dissolving the entire ihf leaves me befuddled...it's like disbanding the bcci coz of bhindra...cheechee! but of course they'll never do that. such cash rich milch cows should only be fattened further.

anyways, now that the worst is behind us, can we get on with some real good hockey?! 80years on we need to start from scratch again...

the who rains love on me!

Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers

Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high

Love Reign O'er me

On the dry and dusty road
The nights we spend apart alone
I need to get back home to cool cool rain
I can't sleep and I lay and I think
The night is hot and black as ink
Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain

da car!...me??!!

so that's mah new ol baby!...a friends' treasured 'keep' recently bethroed to me...a fiat sienna circa2000...a lot more than i had ever wanted...not that i wanted a car to start with, but that's another story. now that i have it, better i learn to drive it...n exactly what i've been doing this month...finally mustered enough guts to drive it to the studio today...license should happen next week...a lpg gas tank next...n a road trip to goa by n by!!

learning on a santro n aspiring to drive a sienna is a huge jump. this one's just so huge n powerful...kinda keep hoping i won't be the next mac alister;) but good fun! i think i can get used to it...quite like i got used to the ac in summer however big my moral pangings...

but you know my worst fear?- that i'll simply leave the car in a jam n walk away! wanna ride anyone?!

are you in poon in june?

Self Portraits
By Ajay Noronha
Exploring our sense of self through the visual, this workshop aims to help us “see” ourselves in unique ways. We will understand the act of seeing while learning how to use a digital still camera. And finally, we will make a self-portrait! Just one? Let's see!
7th-8th June 2008
check out

the paanchvi pass dons!

tania-the babuji's righthand gal
gd-the online editor, bob-srk's cam, ashwin-the recordist, rd-the writer

sai baba twin towers!

...inviting me n inciting me to fly right thru them...

for sanah

...who wouldn't drink her milk the day she came to stay...

paanchvi pass - from tomorrow

...watch out for srk riding my bicycle for one of the openings :) it's been a peaceful good-fun shoot n we start shooting the second sked from next week. lemme know what you think..

tino n his table

the clearing

i taalo-ed(postponed) it as much as i could...just couldn't bare the loss of thick shrubbery n all the birds n bees that would have one place less to nest n rest. but this time i just had to...it's summer, less to clear, got labour finally n started the clearing.
the plot's in a valley nestled between some ever-dwindling green cover. the spring which ran alongside the plot, dry now. i've decided to clear just half the plot n let the other half just be the "jungle" it is. finally, i was able to walk around the plot, get a sense of the slope of the land n select a spot to build...just above the tree level looking northwest into the sunset...next, get down to work on the design of the centre n start building after the monsoons! yaay!!

off to goa...yet again!

squeezed perfectly between two schedules of paanchvi pass, i'm off to go, again. this time to prepare for a workshop we plan to do end-may. also, there's always some paper work that needs attending to and keep thinking n working on a design plan for the centre. so see you at the end of the week.

meanwhile, my driving's getting better. haven't run over anyone yet :)

views from the tarafa (catwalk)

at least once, when i'm lighting, i climb up on to the catwalk to see that the lightboys are doing ok n that they've laid out the cables right n that they have enough fire extinguishers at hand n that there are no obstructions to their escape route in case of fire, etc.


but the views it offers!....the higher you go, the more you see!!

magical blue frog nite

...magic malik...what kind of name is that, i wondered when i read about the next gig at bf. but when i got to know he had collaborated with st germain on boulevard, i knew i just had to go. luckily for me, srk had a promo shoot to go to n we finished in good time for me to leg it to lower parel in time...
coir mat for hair he sat hunched over a bank of pre-amps n his macbookpro...glistening steel flute in hand with silver chain dangling...he made that piece of steel talk n how! he'd move, bob his head, his stomach would tighten n relax, his eyes closed lightly, occasionally he'd bother telling us what he's been playing or what's gonna follow...but mersmerising it was to hear him tap on his gullet (larynx?) to produce some amazing sounds which mixed n grooved so effortlessly with the grand piano, bass n drums...that was when he wasn't makin magic with his flute...i mean, ian anderson's got some v serious competition here ;)
towards the end of the second set, he launched into the funkiest version of "vaishnava janato"...slow n searing to start with n then ripped right thru it...what a night!...he's playing tomo n day after night. go!
)pics not loading for some reason :(

learning to drive!

mee??!! yup...8 sessions done n i can start, stop, drive in 3rd gear and reverse!!...a weird way to start your day tho'...but kinda relaxing. i often wondered how so many of my friends found driving relaxing...while i could only think of it as extremely stressful. but it's ok...learning on a santro hoping to graduate to a sienna!...
my instructor from jaunpur was v sleepy this morn...ate some gutka, turned to me, "kya aap khaatey hai kya?" n went on to tell me about life back home n how he's left his kheti-ka-kaam n come to bombay n how he's going to get his brother too. hope that thakeray goon ain't reading this.
back home, quickly bath, breaka n off to filmcity on my bicycle, of course!!...racing downslope outside the studio last night, i realised my bike woudn't stop dead even if i pressed my brakes all the way...phew!...got to slow down n lose some weight that propels me even faster down ;)

tickin away!

floyd again!...putting things in perspective!
..."And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"...

back to daftar!

this was to be my year off from television...a year i was to assist on a feature film...but that didn't happen, nor did anything else. and then came this offer to shoot "paanchvi pass" at good ol #7 @ filmcity...and of course i took it up!...so i'm back on my bicycle at 845 every morn...for the next two months!...been lighting the last 4days. it's the indian version of "are you smarter than a fifth grader?"...so look out for it!

you are here!

mbti pic post

some lifetimes ago, i met this hard-nosed, pain in the ass iim-a guy at cry. he was product manager, getting in the money, which we at projects spent. the two depts seldom saw eye to eye...but he n i somehow hit it off. jump-cut to last month, he asks me to come in on a project that he's been thinking could be made into a film!and this is janaki, who's been doing research to figure if there is an "indian" type...how well they complement each other..a delight to watch in action!

just in case you missed this...

this article in the mid-day made me go all red!

happy easter!

the storm's abated
the dark clouds dissipating
the sea a lot calmer
n the light divine!
...(so what if it took me a lot more than 3 days ;)
what a fab way to end a weekend full of celebration! have a wonderful easter!

my mbti type - infp

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality questionnaire designed to identify certain psychological differences according to the typological theories of Carl Gustav Jung as published in his 1921 book Psychological Types.

the dichotomies:
Extraversion Introversion
Sensing iNtuition
Thinking Feeling
Judging Perceiving

...INFPs are quiet, creative, sensitive and perceptive souls who often strike others as shy, reserved and cool. These folks have a rare capacity for deep caring and commitment--both to the people and causes they idealize. INFPs guide their behavior by a strong inner sense of values, rather than by conventional logic and reason. Forced to cope with this facts-and-figures "real" world we inhabit, INFPs may appear to have been imported from another galaxy! They gravitate toward creative or human service careers which allow them to use their instinctive sens of empathy and remarkable communication skills. Strongly religious, spiritual or philosophical people, INFPs may see the purpose of their lives as an inner journey, quest or personal unfolding. More practical or rational types may tend to discredit the INFP's sources of understanding as mystical. The search for a soulmate is a preoccupation for many INFPs, who must balance their need for privacy and peace with their yearning for human connection. If there seems to be an air of sadness in the INFP's spirit, blame it on this type's longing for the perfect in all things.

ha! :)

myers briggs anyone??

am off to delhi this afternoon to learn about the myers briggs type indicator...a friend from my CRY lifetime is looking at making a film exploring the "indian" type...mbti is a qnnaire that uses jung's psychological types ka theory in order to better understand ourselves. whatever!...will tell more when i learn more ;)

chinese restaurants india premier

last evening at the ngma audi, thanks to asia society, we finally screened cheuk kwan's "chinese restaurants" - tho just the india n argentina parts. almost full the house was...watched in rapt attention n seemed to enjoy the film. it's so easy when you are presenting someone else's film... i remember the nervousness n misery i went thru at my film screenings...but this was different! the discussion though was derailed by a bad start n we never recovered from that...but clearly the film worked n was well-received. in fact, there were 8 firm orders for a box set of 5dvds!!

to celebrate, went to ling's pavilion for a sumptuous dinner...where they stuffed our faces silly!...pork , prawns, chiken, corn curd, stew, bacon steamed rice n noodles!...aaah! a perfect way to end the day!...cheers cheuk!

re-watching the film...listening to mr chiang of casa china in buenos aires made me ponder about our own smallness...here was man who left taiwan 40yrs ago changed 3boats n has now lived half his life in argentina. his wife n son live in new york n there's this loneliness n acceptance, resilience n courage you begin to respect. his world view is almost zen-like...his concept of home, of identity makes me wonder of the sena campaign here in bombay...when will we ever learn?...

closer home, the lives of baba n nini ling are played out...so different they are from each other...i cringe when a smartypants nri starts the discussion asking if "they" can speak hindi...but to my (later) disgust, i do not dismiss the premise of his question...n grow increasingly protective of them in the course of the discussion...i live n learn!

kps gill must go!

there's no two ways about it...guys let's start a kps gill hatao campaign from the ihf, if we have to recover from the absolutely pathetic news that we didn't qualify for the olympics in hockey for the first time in 80years!! i'm so sad n so angry. for all the upper that srk's chak de was, however momentary n filmy, this downer is for real n will take a long time re-hauling. it makes me even more ill when i think of the money cricket continues to attract...on the other hand, maybe just change our national sport to cricket let our hockey glories be buried deep under our consciousness.

blue frog weekend

nothing sends me soaring higher than some good live music...and blue frog's just THE place...bob belden's animation on saturday night blew the roof away with some exciting nu-jazz mixed live with dj logic's dual vinyl turntables...i wish they'd let good ol louis banks sleep so late at night, instead of forcing some indo-jazz fusion on us...i mean he's been doing the same plink-plonking since the last 20years!...
but their ballistic version of "sunshine of your love" had us begging for more! for the first time, all my screaming for more was in vain...they simply didn't come back for one last one :(
a nice end to an evening with naresh over music, old b/w pics n stories, some good feni...aaahhhh!

come along!

ASIA SOCIETY
presents

as part of its CHINESE NEW YEAR Series


Chinese Restaurants: Beyond Frontiers


by Cheuk Kwan, Director


Followed by Q&A with Ajay Noronha, Cinematographer


Thursday, 13 March 2008. 6.30 pm


National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Auditorium, 2nd Floor, NGMA,

Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall, M G Road, (diagonally opposite Regal Cinema), Mumbai 400032

Telephone: 022-22881970


Film screening at 6.30 pm, followed by Discussion



Chinese Restaurants: Beyond Frontiers tells the story of the Chinese Diaspora through its most recognizable and enduring icon - the family-run Chinese restaurant. Filmmaker Cheuk Kwan travels across the world and comes face to face with Chinese communities who have transcended geographical, political, and social frontiers. Together, these community and personal histories illustrate the wider story of Chinese migration and settlement and celebrate the resilience and complexity of the Chinese Diaspora. They highlight the fluidity and highly personal nature of identity, and the struggle of ethnic minorities to break through cultural and racial boundaries. Cheuk Kwan was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. After earning his master’s degree in systems engineering in the U.S., he immigrated to Canada in 1976 where he embarked upon a successful career in information technology. Following a film workshop at New York University in 1998, he established his own production company, Tissa Films, which has produced the Chinese Restaurant series of documentaries.

sleep eludes me tonight...

...vikram seth offers some solace...as i contemplate unconditional love.

"All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right
And emptiness above -

Know that you aren't alone
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years."