About
It’s the break of dawn. Overcast. A considerable breeze flows across the hills. A girl sneaks out of her house, with an odd-looking backpack. She races up the hill, climbs atop a tree, and sits on a branch, staring at the sky. Patient, waiting, eager. Her hair flutters, the slightest ray breaks through the clouds. Her eyes light up, her heart races. A camera emerges from her backpack. A glare from the lens, like a message to the heavens themselves.
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My Profile
Data Scientist | MS in Computer Science from University of Southern California | Artist | Dancer | Photographer | Traveler | Lover of Cinema | Hobby Writer Mumbai | Los Angeles | San Francisco
I’m Currently Here!
I remember the day when my cousin playfully told me that I wasn’t pretty and modern enough to understand fashion. Maybe because when everyone else in the class was busy writing ambitions in each others’ slam books, I was sitting at the corner, putting ideas in ink and imagination into colors. Maybe because I preferred gold medal at that age over the gold sequined dress. Even then I knew ‘fashion’ was something very personal and unique, instead of a ‘one size fits all’ formula that is updated each season like the mass production powered fashion houses would pay ad gurus to make you believe.
Fashion is like a signature- to each his (or her) own. It is the first, unspoken, spontaneous ‘hello’ you say to everyone you cross on the street. So why make it forgettable, why not squeeze in a little bit about yourself in there? I get upset seeing every other girl on the street in western outfits, making a boring attempt of keeping it “casual” and “modern”. I am not a fashion extremist. My wardrobe is full of vibrant, colorful dresses, gypsy trinkets, bohemian bags and handpicked tribal jewelry but I still wear neutrally toned coats, knee touching boots, body-hugging skirts or striped pants paired with blouses to work. But when it comes to wearing casuals on weekends, I always love infusing Indian, bohemian and western styles, creating a unique and wearable look.
There’s something about the wilderness which has always attracted me. Smell of the rain, the majesty of mountains, the rawness of the dirt roads. So of course, backpacking to all national parks in the States is the newest addition to my travel bucket list. Sequoia and Kings National Park is full of wild history of giant trees, incredible caves, otherworldly landscapes, and outlaw trails to follow. This trip was a long cherished dream for me and two of my best friends, Tanay and Veer. Since we didn’t have campground reserved, we scouted through wilderness to find a perfect spot to set up our tent in dispersed camping area, which is always a bit of a gamble. (dispersed camping is not very safe bet but it gave us the sense of achievement of living in the jungle by ourselves)
I’ve always been fascinated by Rajasthani culture. The stories of their kingdoms and wars, formidable forts and royal palaces. We’ve seen a lot of those along with a healthy dose of “Nawabi” lifestyle in Bollywood movies. Like a typical Indian girl, I’d dream of getting married in a royal palace, a whole “big fat Indian wedding.” During my last visit to India, I’d planned to visit Udaipur and Jaipur and explore Rajasthani culture on a more personal level. Unfortunately, these places are in high demand around December and I couldn’t get my bookings through on time, special thanks to unreasonably overpriced travel sites. Around the time this plan failed, my best friend @vishakha told me about a plan to go to Hampi and I agreed in a flash. I’d only heard the name in passing, and I was having second thoughts of carrying my camera. Little did I know that this place would be such a dream! (P.S. Taking the camera, I successfully dodged the #DisappointmentMAX scenario)
After a meandering, back-breaking bus journey, we reached Hospet, a taluka in North Karnataka. As we approached the outskirts of the town, I began to see interesting things. The topography changed suddenly, a different landscape and an entirely different feel overall. The fatigue and jet lag was taking a backseat, and I had my own Harry Potter platform 9 ¾ moment. A granite rock formation that extended as far as the eye could see, a gentle tone in the air and a vibrant feel to the day! Right then, I knew something special was in the offing.
Born and brought up in Mumbai, I am the quintessential “Aamchi Mumbai” girl. I never imagined falling in love with another city. But, as luck would have it, I moved to Los Angeles for Masters. The city of angels, they called it. This city has pieces of every part of the world. A melting pot of multi-cultural, multi-linguistic people coming together, sharing ideas and customs, making LA’s culture completely unique, completely special. My love affair with the sights and sounds of LA began instantly. Amidst all the academic commitments, I performed some magic tricks. Turning coffee into code, friends into family and dreams into reality were some of the amazing feats I pulled off. With work in order, navigating through the alleys and streets of LA introduced me to world of art, creativity and the pictorial representation of human emotion. That said, if I were to live in the US forever, I’d choose LA in a heartbeat. LA is so much more than the Walk of Fame or the Hollywood sign. I intend to prove that statement below! Mirroring LA’s polycentrism, this post is a collection of photographs of city blocks pasted together. Read More
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