Of Lamas & Legends - Ladakh Hemis Mask Dance Festival

A hindu by religion, though i am not really a prayer practitioner or a temple visitor, as a child and a growing up teen-ager i read many holy books to understand the religion I follow as well as many others. my solo expedition to Ladakh in 2010, was my very first and closest interaction with buddhism, the practice that I felt is relatively very close to hinduism, including the interpretations and how two religions symbolize the destruction of evil forces, manifestation of good over evil, and also the illustrations of various gods.

Mask dances by monks of monasteries in india and in rest of the buddhist centers across the world are  religious ceremonies and are events of culture importance of performed annually at every monastery. these dances are sacred and performed to the god and the guru. they depict the war between the gods and evil forces through various interpretations and use of colorful costumes and masks, the dance steps and also certain kind of music. dances are performed by lamas of all ages.

Costumed lamas with gaily painted masks, ceremonial swords and sparkling jewels jump and sway to the rhythm of echoing drums, trumpeting horns and chanting of monks. These masks which usually that of various animals and deities, with whom, as per the local people here, one meets after death, enthrall the locals, tourists. seeing the dance is also believed as a blessing.

Event finishes with a ritual of burning the effigies made of flour, and wood and other elements and also releasing of animals like yaks, horses and goats after a puja ceremony.

In ladakh I got a chance to attend hemis and korzok festival. Korzok Tsomoriri, being in remote area of ladakh, is a low key affair, attended by few tourists, villagers and nomads living in the close areas of Changthang, and let me say, also more organized of the two and also less commercial in nature, however Hemis festival that attracts many tourists and media from across the globe and is more of an annual colorful fair for the locals who come truckloads from all the part of Ladakh to witness this somehow a bizarre of a  dance and costume spectacle and also to sell/buy some beautiful traditional handicrafts.

Hemis, about 300 years old monastery, also the biggest and richest of the all in Ladakh region, is situated about 40kms from the city of Leh. The festival and chamdance thats performed in the courtyard of the monastery is to celebrate birth anniversary of Guru Padma Sambhav, founder of Tantric Buddism. The main temple wall adorns a beautiful Thanka, depicting Padmasambhava and also the wealth of the monastery as its richly embroidered with pearls and semi-precious stones.

One of most awaited in Ladakh, this extravaganza is something not to missed for photographers or anyone who's visiting Ladakh. and this is exactly why, including its close proximity to Leh, the festival is the most crowded, with press photographers, documentary makers, national international channels, visitors and local included. I initially planned to be there for all three days, including one pre-festival practice day when it' shouldn't have been that packed, But I only made it for one day.



5 Reasons why you might not want to attend Hemis Festival  but other small-level local folk festivals:

1. Reservations:

This is to my fellow indian readers/ travelers mostly, not to mention how much we have dealt with reservation in our life starting from school days, the last thing I would want is to have the seats reserved for a local indian festival to peacefully watch and shoot. There is no FCFS ( first-come-first-served) The local who are serving their guests occupy entire space, the rest is given to VVIPs and the Press. if you are just a traveler or an independent photographer you are most likely to get succumbed by the media force and the foreign friends who bring more business to the local then an average traveler rambling on a budget. You've no respect.


2- Monkey Business / Bad Press:

In India, I have shot festivals in Kerala, and I have been to the largest gathering on earth, The Maha Kumbh Mela, But I have never met a press as bad and mean as in Hemis festival, this is after I paid 50 bucks for the entrance and ~300 INR I believe, for photographing the event to organizing lamas ( u perhaps know now where that wealth comes from) and I was constantly poked by the press head, a  lady who came with her 20-30 interns and occupied the entire space, like no one else belonged there.

Well She spotted me shooting inside the temple, I was the only one there, except her team, so perhaps she dint like me much as she constantly kept bickering and making faces through out the day.

Incase you wondered I was her only victim? Actually No, I was the only one she couldn't do nothing about, because She actually dint spare, none of the hundreds of photographers specially those who were shooting videos with their tripods and I still remember their were a few old people totally patronized by her. it was awful. more so because, those lamas had collected money from all of them. ugh.

Local People of all age, plus visitors had the area jam-packed under harsh sunlight and heat-waves of June, and there were absolutely no arrangement whatsoever for them excluding those for the VVIPs and alike. I wonder if they are doing any better now. well good luck.


3- Repetition -

Coming to the Actual ritual part, It wouldn't be right on my part if I criticize it in anyways because these are the rituals, I would however tell you from the photography point of view, thats its repetitive, both music and the dance. so the only thing that you can focus on here is Masks and the overall costumes adorned by the lama groups. and If you are willing to capture those.



4- Its all about lamas and Only about Lamas, But you miss the story somehow-

Yes you can throw it back at me saying, its is lama dance festival, so Only those will be there, But by this What I meant it is not a reflection of Tibetan culture, Until unless you are well read, and you can figure out the stories they're telling only by looking at their costumes, You can not get out more educated, nor you can bring 100 unique visuals back home. but You can come out more spiritual and I wont deny that.


5-  Why Small festivals are better

if you can instead go to more surreal settings such as Korzok monastery overlooking Tsomoriri or kaza or Rangdum in zankar, You can not only enjoy the festival to the core, but also can get better background and shots from more angles then what you can get in hemis. here is the thing, Yes the costumes here are most vibrant, and royal, while those in smallar monasteries are not, but once you study the photograph, You'd find the rugged looking better. You can come out more satisfied as a photographer, as a traveler, and trust me, you wouldn't be subjected to insult , that you being as a non-VIP might end up getting at Hemis.

I think I have listed most of the reasons I could recall from my experience, precisely I only spent a day, shot 500 pictures, and I still dont find them good enough, but, If you thought I have put you off, and if you actually, can still brave above all, here I give you 5 more reasons for why you should, and How you can be best prepared. here's why




5 Reasons why you should attend Hemis Festival :

1- Photographing the locals

Hemis is undoubtedly the biggest in Ladakh, so no matter what, locals from all parts of ladakh come to witness it and most of them in their traditional attires, i.e. a great opportunity for you to click portraits.

2- Ancient Monastery Culture - Its Royal

You may not find the local dance, songs and folk performances here, but you can witness the incredible ancient rituals that are performed in the dark temple of hemis, more authentically, hemis being the head monastery the reason. for that I suggest you go early, probably a day or two ahead and find your way to live in the monastery itself and celebrate the festival with lamas.

3- For once - It is the Spectacle

Even though it failed me on photography, and arrangement levels, I still enjoyed it for once, live. the music, lamas do the most simplest dance movement in the whole world, lifting their one feet a little high on the ground that is, is celestial, and rhythm does get to you. I still remember it scaring me a little bit, and now after 3 years when I am trying to remember the sound, all what is coming to my mind is the trailer music of the transformers the latest sequel.


4- Its the most Sacred

Or so the local says, I have seen people sitting their with their hands folded in Prayer, while watching the lamas in Masks of Gods, as if they were real Gods and demons, Its all about belief, and I do believe in locals.

Did I give you just  four? then, here is the photography tip for you -

The light at this time around, is mostly harsh, and taking in the nature of festival, you might find the contrast a bit too much, and working on the background later on extremely difficult. You dont need much zoom or high shutter speed either because their moments are extremely slow, but try carrying some glass with shallow depth of field, which solves your background issues and bring more focus on your subject.

Visit the place a day before to study the light and fix your position, and fight for it the next day. well you can do anything for your perfect image right? also if your visiting for the royalty, You'll have to visit the first day since the next day typically, the crowd is lesser, but so is the royal rendezvous.  

Out of the Spotswood & Now Big Apple Dreamin' on a Wooden Floor

“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline. Particularly when one can't see the details. Just the shapes. The shapes and the thought that made them. The sky over New York and the will of man made visible. What other religion do we need? And then people tell me about pilgrimages to some dank pesthole in a jungle where they go to do homage to a crumbling temple, to a leering stone monster with a pot belly, created by some leprous savage. Is it beauty and genius they want to see? Do they seek a sense of the sublime? Let them come to New York, stand on the shore of the Hudson, look and kneel. When I see the city from my window - no, I don't feel how small I am - but I feel that if a war came to threaten this, I would throw myself into space, over the city, and protect these buildings with my body.” 
                                                      ― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Photo courtesy - http://younggov.org/

Unlike Ayn, I am a lover of the wild, but who said New York doesn't have a wild side? and when is the right time to taste the big apple but right now. :) 

A little over two months, and I am beginning to realize why who love Jersey love it so much, and when I say this, I strictly mean the old country homes to evenings at the south river pier, the never ending green zones to New Jersey Turnpike, where ultimately all country roads lead to. 

Its not difficult for me to ignore the difficulties in running the regular daily life that one could face initially and those I did myself while in my first month settling down here in the Jersey Shore and only soak away the wilderness specially that of monmouth county, ( which by the way is looking exceedingly gorgeous as the summer is growing into it, Though I must say I am missing the tiny glimpse of spring and weeping willows that went by like a breeze ) But I have moved. 

Photo courtesy - fineartamerica.com 

In all this time, I have come to a better understanding of Jersey and certainly eased out, but   there is one thing I still hold on to, and that is, Its all about New York here. and as new as I am here, I am not left unaffected by the place. as much as I always wanted to, I can now get to my roof top and see the lady Liberty that overwhelms everyone with her stately toga-clad physique anytime. Yup, I am this close and personal. and I couldn't be much happier. 

You guessed it right,  I am now living in a studio apartment across hudson river in Jersey City downtown, and while Its not that I get to my roof-top and say hi to Miss Liberty anytime, or walk in the street of Manhattan every day, what I am enjoying the most is, this very chick setting of eventful, historic neighborhood with population as diverse as it could be and where Art is really flourishing.

I am a slow traveler. i.e. you'll not see me hopping countries every month, though I might do that at some point of time, but for now, I have made Jersey City, my new home. and I am  very excited to discover all the secrets and perks, the festivals, and celebrations, the old paved street, and  the quaint around hoods of one of the craziest place on earth. 

Photo courtesy - http://njminsuranceblog.com/ 

As Peter Shaffer has said, “If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting.” Well, I have my fingers all set to feel the texture and splash some bright colors in this grand fine american painting. and when I say color, not to forget, I am eagerly awaiting the season of the magnificent colors, yes the fall foliage and the harvest season. how more close I could get to my biggest wish of the year than being right in the middle of all action. :)

So You and me both, can look forward to a lot of things I know not of New York & New Jersey in near future.  The east coast and life here has just got a bit better and who knows I might end up giving me the permission to explore more creative possibilities, the one I always craved for. It’s never too early to start planning right! 

welcome to my new neighborhood and wish me luck, I am so waiting to get my hands dirty :)

The Appalachian Trail : Section Hiking the NY-NJ Stretch

And here I am talking about my plans to section-hike one of the longest and most famous trail in the world. Its something I never ever dreamt about before, so of course hadn't had any plans to hike until this may. Yes it is The Iconic Appalachian Trail, America's most storied footpath. .

My readers who, haven't heard about this trail before, let me briefly introduce you to this over 2100 miles or 3500kms trail that runs through 14 states in the eastern United States, stretching from Georgia in south to north most in Maine, running via many state parks and national parks most notably Great Smokies and Shenandoah, and ending all the way in to Canada.


The map image on the left is actually this trail in its entirety. depending on your strength and stamina, it usually takes around 5 to 6 months if your through-hiking also called thru-hiking the trail. through-hiking is doing the entire stretch of the trail in one journey, something not very easy to do, but one can take off a week or two or for that matter weekends and do certain selective stretches either as part of National Park hiking or otherwise. and that is exactly what I am planning to do this upcoming long-weekend. 

Since I am in Jersey currently and very close to much happening New York, I was looking for some hiking options somewhere close-by in my very favorite way of doing it, Google'ing that is, and wont you agree it was the best way, it ended up giving me the Appalachian Trail. So I studied the trail from Harper's Ferry near Washington DC to Delaware water Gap and all the way to Hudson Highlands. Harper's Ferry, obviously was very far-fetched but I had absolutely no idea about the distance, so I called up the Appalachian trail conservancy office in the Virginia, and asked em about the distance, I had by then figured out one end up in NY and that was Pawling.

Now here is the funny thing, the trail is not circular, good for me, I wasn't really looking forward to go to the peak and come back or sort, which i have been doing all this time. the trail has parking spots every 10 miles for so I believe, so that you can start a trek at certain point, do a distance, get down and get a ride someway or the other to your car, if you have one. Now what I was looking for was public transports and this is how I found Pawling and harper's ferry,
the only two train stations on the trail itself. So first i thought I'd do DC to NY but when I learned that its about 400 miles, I was laughing out loud on myself. anyways, at-least I could finalise on one end-up, so all i needed was to find one more end-up well with in the 3 days hike, and thats when I found Peekskill on the map. ( see below the connection map)

Turned out I was not the only one craving for public transports and long-weekend hike on the famous trail. this blog assured me the plan I was making, was doable and thats when I put my final stamp on it.



View Larger Map

I looked through the pictures on google and most of the nice ones I found, are from down south. so I have absolutely no idea how the trail is going to look like next week when I hike. but east coast is fresh green and beautiful right now, and with changing weather, sometime its very sunny and misty the other times. this is what explains why I picked up the picture I posted in the beginning of this post. I am thinking it'll even better in fall specially the stretch I am attempting, but I cant wait till then and for falls I have other plans. Another thing to mention, this area is not much touched, I am not sure why, and that perhaps also explains why there aren't many pictures of NY-NJ part of the trail on the internet. I am also not sure about how many people going to be on the trail over this long weekend. it could be crowded or not. There are some specifics about hiking in this area too, like educating yourself and preping for bacteria infections or hunting for example, I think I can only imagine for now how its going to be. but I am sure it'll be interesting. fingers crossed.


Useful Links:

1. AT Distance calculator

If you are planning to section-hike and trying to find the distance between any two points of the trail.
for example, The distance on the Appalachian Trail between High Point Shelter, NJ and County 20-Pawling, NY is 108.4 miles.  

Good Part, its also give you the idea of entire trail, where all its runs from and along. very educating.

2. Maps of Shelters along the trail.

As the title says, this has the details and locations of the shelters along the trail, no matter what your start or end point is. there are approximately 260 trail shelters on the Appalachian Trail. so this map is pretty useful for you to determine where you want to start and end your trek, in case your doing a weekend hike only, I must say. You can also download the GPS data from here for your trek.

3 - Thru-Hikers Resources

I did not yet go through any of links listed in this site, since I wasn't looking for that long hike anyway. but if you are doing a 100 miles for more stretch, you might find useful things in there.

4- NPS Appalachian Directives 

Another good resources point to start with for thru-hikers. You can buy brochures, guides books etc.

5- Lyme Disease  or Deer Ticks

A good Article to explain you about the bacteria infection you can risk exposing yourself to while on Appalachian trail. also the details about the repellant etc. tell you this almost made me drop my plans, to do this hike. Leeches never did that to me in Western Ghats of India. but then one who's willing to try will try right, with precautions but. so Thank you for educating me about this in advance, I'll be carrying Permethrin, DEET, antibiotics and of course I'd blouse my pants and wear long-sleeves. 

6- NYNJHiking

 The local portal on hiking, something I'll be going back to many times in coming months. It has very good details about the treks in near by area and I found it very helpful figuring out which stretch I would want to attempt first. 

7- WikiTravel

And finally the wiki travel, my first knowledge source. 

Well, wish me luck and hopefully I'd come out with some interesting story and pictures from my first long hike in the east coast USA. :)

( Above photo courtesy - clickbooq.com & http://www.appalachiantrail.org/ )

5Ws & H of Travel & Photography Blogging

I bought my first DSLR in the month of march 2009. I had been micro-blogging, for 2 years then, writing whatsoever came to my mind. the first generation twitter, only it wasn't limited to 140 characters. I never maintained a diary offline. it was too much of a cliche. emotional outbursts, those you write about, the ones those look incredibly stupid when you come to your senses few hours or days later. the ones you dont want anyone to read about, ever. the pieces of pages, that end up in ashes. I always wanted to write, something, that i could let others, read.




In January 2011 I had my first article published in one of the travel magazines in India. It was my first piece of writing on paper. It was different. more exhilarating yet fulfilling, then what I felt when I had my first photograph published. The readers response mails that the editor sent, somehow appeared to be more precious and satisfying, then the collectives of the comments on flickr, facebook and the blog. I was excited.  This was what I always wanted to do. I went back to searching for my horoscope, I downloaded from a website long ago, and emailed myself on some hotmail or yahoo account I used to use years back. It talked briefly about me being a writer. May be this was my break, I thought. In the month of February, I had another article published in the same magazine. I sent multiple mails, I couldn't see the pdf of the published article, let alone the hard copy of the magazine. my little heart was hurt. the world doesn't understand my enthusiasm. For the next story I had to edit so much, I didn't bother to send it. I had no time to keep sending pitches and wait for editors approvals on what I had to say and how I had to say. In no time I was busy with hundreds of other things going on in my life. My writing career was soon over.

After two years of roller coasters, I returned and I wondered, why.

Why:

Keeping knowledge erodes power. Sharing is the fuel to your growth engine.

There is no question why one shouldn't share certain piece of knowledge. It is evident. It isn't just for personal growth. It is the growth engine for the society we live in. As a human, we love sharing, doesn't  matter, how big our sharing circle is. there are certain things we would share only with family, and few others with friends and perhaps some other things with strangers. It isnt entirely wrong to say that its our need to share, It is the way we express ourself, as humans.

“I know what I have given you... I do not know what you have received.” ― Antonio Porchia 

Regardless of what I have to say, and where and how I choose my audience, the important thing is that, I want to say something,  and I am in the right mindset to do so.



I vaguely remember a story from school. It was of a trader, he used to write his logbooks everyday. Every evening, he would go for a long walk to the water, carrying his logbooks along with him. he would throw away those books in the ocean, telling the ocean, its his now, everything he did today, and that he'd start his tomorrow a fresh, and he wouldn't have carry forward anything of the past.

More philosophical and less practical you would say, this story is? I know not. My objective when I started blogging was to give my mind a juicy cleanse. Whenever I'd write something, my thoughts would become clearer. I could think better and a fresh. i.e. my mind was open for new thought, imaginations.

Soon I wanted to write about my experiences, my new adventures. It was easy. it was surreal, throwing away your experiences in the sea of Internet. But I ended up getting caught in the web of comments, likes and favorites and followers. I ended up looking at what other people were doing and making out of it. I ended up wishing for the more name and fame, How many photographs I shot, and have had published. What experiences were worthy enough to be published in the magazines and newspapers, what vocabulary will make me sound like an expert in literature. I forgot what I wanted to say, and all I remembered was what others wanted me to. I had lost of my only objective which I begin writing for/with.

The only source of knowledge is experience. - Albert Einstein

There is nothing wrong in craving for acceptance, building a name. But lets have our objectives clear.



why do you want to blog? 

is it to start a career in writing or it is express yourself, share your happiness and sorrows, share your experiences, helping others while helping yourself?

Why do you want to photograph? to document your journey? to tell a story?
Why do you want a DSLR? to tell a story better? or impress your friends and colleagues with the quality of your honeymoon shot? what drives you to travel or blog or photograph?

Blogging is a full time project but Its not a CONTEST. taking photographs is even more cumbersome a project. these aren't merely hobbies, not just passion. Traveling can take a toll on you. your habit of observing and taking time shooting things on your travel , can kill the entire holiday experience of your fellow-travelers. When you express yourself out in the open, good, or bad, you invite criticism. your experience can become your opinion. which others might agree or not agree to. you might end up being a victim of self-critic. for example, "I write better, no one reads my blog. I click better picture, I dont get these many likes on my picture, He has such poor quality pictures and they are published everywhere, and so on and forth"


One needs to set her/his priority straight. You want to start a career in photography or writing, or want to make a name for yourself, or make money out of it. A blog can be a very effective tool to do all that, but only once you know what you ultimately want out of it.


Where & What:

There is a reason, the post is titled "My 5Ws & H of Travel & Photography Blogging". There is no limits to reasons why one wants to start a blog or click, and I can certainly generalize it. but I have to limit myself when I give you a "where" or I'd be in trouble.

Before you know blogging can be become a broad-brush. but once you have a solid "W" with you. the next W is easy.

You are a celebrity you want to share your moments with your fans - Go to Tumblr
You are a business and you need to promote your products - Go to Pinterest. 
You are a creative professional, just jumping on the bandwagon - Go everywhere. 
 If you want to merely rant about life - Go Anywhere. 




All these are a form of blogging. But we'll skip out the usual facebooks and twitters and tumblrs for now and only talk about serious platform which are more appropriate a showcase to what you want to do.

There i said it. If you are serious that is.
The above mentioned platform are only for promoting and staying connected. not that your actual content can reside there. Yes the photographs can be stored and seen on facebook or google pages but if that is all where your audience is. if you want to go to stock photography, would you think Getty will look into facebook pages and find your photographs and invite it?

You need to select a platform depending on who your audience is.

Travel blogging and Travel Photo Blogging are two different things. The former is for the travel writers. You want to focus on your stories. here photos are just the visual adds. you can post yours or borrow from others. either way, your content is whats important, you want to present it properly.

Most people or should i say writers generally make a mistake putting up the stories as "their stories". however the focus of the travel stories is not you but the place of travel. its your experience that introduce that certain place to readers. You and your reader can discover you more, via your style of presenting it, but that just limits to you cook well, what you cooked is what to be eaten right? But its your recipe remember, so dont just be a guide.

My advice, let the journey be yours but not about you, unless, you are a celebrity of course. and people are just interested in what your eating and wearing. many of I's and a reader can never put him/herself in your shoes or see things through your eyes. anyone reading should feel like they are the one virtually traveling to that place. 

Yes, You can/should share your research data, and how you're working or worked on implementing your travel plans.



A Travel blog needs to have practical information about your travel. What mode you choose to travel, where did you decide to stay and what options you had for food. yes food the main necessity. most of the times, blogs turn in to dreamland, where everything is beautiful and rosy. their writers do not want to share their bad experiences, the tiny details those were important, but not fancy and extra boring. Let me tell you, not each place you go is deemed heaven. are you realistic? its not all the time, that you feel excited, you might get lonely, your travel might end up as a disaster, would it be worth publishing if you didn't come out victorious? thats the question you ask yourself and prohibit such posts  , however important. Not a good practice. 

Travel blogging needs courage and time. ask me, and I'd say No story is a work of fiction..no writing ever was. Everything is experience. imagination. something that happened to you or what you are imagining. You can choose the language and style you think is best to tell your story, that'd be perfect.

Its easy to write about experiences. You know what you want to tell. multiple stories yet connected and best you know the flow. start your blogging with a short trip experience. read the post multiple times. see if the dots are connected if not, modify it. write it again. and go on.

If you are writing about a place you have never been, thats when it becomes difficult, knowing not what to tell and what not. Plenty of articles and recommendations in magazines and newspapers are written by people that never been to the places they suggest, and yet they will sell em to you and make you book your tickets. You can research good, and  let your imaginations run wild, get a strong story cooked up in your own way and serve it hot. the difference, you are actually pulling up other people's experiences and wrapping them up in your own words. i.e. you are creative and already a professional writer and hence you dont need my advice.

It is a good idea to stick to one category and be an expert then failing while dealing w/ multiple trades. But there is nothing wrong being an all rounders. for blogs you do need a category however. if you can  focus more on certain type of travel, its easy for readers, they know what they can expect from you.

Blogger vs. Wordpress 

You know html-xml. You like the flexibility and want all control of your page - Go blogger.
You want options of free themes, you like your blog to look like a professional website - Go Wordpress.

There are other advantages and disadvantages of choosing one from these two or host of other websites like posterous which I believe is closed now, tumblr, typepad etc. I find the widgets much better on Wordpress, not able to change the width of my main column or changing how my photo looks kills me.
having said that, Its totally up to you if can like thousand of free wordpress themes that are available. I always like only those NOT FREE. Plus, my blog being old I wouldnt' want to shift platform screwing up my google rank. weigh your options.

Flickr vs. Smugmug

SO far I have said nothing about the Travel Photo blogging. Here is my say. Individual photos, with their stories, tags, geotags, and metadata are best stored on flickr. Each photo is an individual post, has its own page ( ranking) and the interface and quality is the best out of whatever is available. flickr also provides maximum ways to share, embed your photographs while giving you option of being in a community of "photographers" and focus only on photography.

500px also provide a excellent way to showcase your gallery, but its important to understand where you want to go with your photography, if you want to ultimately sell your photographs Smugmug is the way to go. 

However if its the photo stories that you want to produce, you can always use above blogging platforms. Behance is another good platform for creating visually strong photo essays and also sharing other creative work. where its always available for creative professional in the similar industry to see.
If you are a true Travel photographer who wants to share your own stories with your photographs in it. I suggest blogger w/ flickr is the best. ( I am partial to google you can say)




When & How one can start travel blogging:

Now is time for everything. isn't it? for me blogging is nothing less than a Ph.D. every article is important, and a research it itself and it needs lots of time and focus. having said that its not my bread and butter. so my objective here is different. if you want to be a professional travel blogger and want your stories to land in publications, your blog is your portfolio and you have to be extra active about keeping your blog up to date and produce regular and interesting content and interact with your readers, engage in conversation on multiple platform and perhaps market it as well. i.e. saying a things about it every now n then can also be mandatory but I am not sure how effective that would be though. 

DO your homework in that case. Your blog can not mint money from the first day onwards. You want to sell stories, or you want free travel in exchange of stories and photographs ( if you have that skill ) You can not just publish your work on blog and wait for google to do the rank magic, make your page appear on top and bring editors and sponsors to you.  It does not happen overnight. 

You do need to learn PR perhaps and be good at it. Its strict business right?  How loud can you speak? You want more people to hear you? Get loudspeakers, amplifiers and repeaters. those are your facebook and twitter followers, your fellow travelers and bloggers who are already in business and know the nitty-gritty. you need to build contacts and use them for your good, if you can.

Right, all that is important, but Do you need to get obsessed about the numbers? No. People have this tendency to fall for followers, number of likes, Ranking and other website scores. I couldn't post for a month, and my alexa dropped so did one other rating that I have had added in. Can you trust such ranking for the evaluation? Those are for you not for PR. You can pay 5 dollars and buy ten thousand fake facebook/twitter followers, if you need to show that off that is. Or you can actually spend some bucks and advertise your page to get more likes and attention. Forming a community, or being a part  of one, can also help in giving you initial exposure, but that can not be true reflection of what you will eventually get in return.




Who:


So who do you think you want to be? You started with fun and it began to turn in to a regular headache for you where you have to constantly keep your facebook page updated, and stay active on twitter, keep sending stories to editors and dealing with rejections?

Blogging is lot of effort. but its a great medium to learn all this and much more and It all depends on where you want to take it. just hold on to that pole that your objective is, and do your dance. I am sure you'd have fun.  

First Month in New Jersey : Hotel Hopping & The Grub Crawl

"New Jersey has got a bad reputation." was the first statement I heard, as soon as I landed in east coast of america for the very first time, and it was quoted by none other than a jersey resident himself. a collective of initial experiences together with constantly comparing it to the bay area of san francisco, and I couldnt help but hate this place. While I tried to adjust, winter decided to stay a bit longer than usual and Trees remained barren with no signs of spring. The Dry, dormant yet sizable forests added more misery, and I just overlooked the beautiful country houses and the close proximity to the ocean and anything else that was positive about the Garden State of USA.



Pass the hurdles, Jersey shore now is getting greener, and I am comfortably settling down and beginning to explore what this state and east coast overall has to offer to a nomad like me. Finding a place to stay in quiet neighborhood was my first priority and now when that is done, I can look forward to seeking some wanderlust in my daily life, i.e. you can expect posts about adventure options here. but before that, Let me jot down few quick reviews of local businesses here in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties of Central New Jersey. All views are my own.

Stay:



The Palace hotel, Fords

The tragedy of  Jersey, most of the hotels have bad to scary reviews, as the prices go high, the reviews get bit better. The palace hotel is no exception. The grandeur of a palace from Rajasthan, does not add much to the reputation, as the basic services such as wifi, vending machines are poor and reception staff not very friendly ( some of 'em ) rooms are clean and spacious. weird however that they increase the rate every friday and just for the day, hence bringing average expenses up.

The Hotel also has a restaurant, and though you might not see many people there, they do make good food. I wouldn't talk much about the interior. its too dark for my taste.

South Amboy Motel

The second hotel we tried for just the weekend as nothing was available, is one on the route-35, about 1.5 miles from South Amboy train station and the broadway street. Rte-35 in that area is deserted to walk out and find something to eat. rooms and staff are okay. but security, and food could be a problem for a longer stay. We ended up ordering Pizza via Eat24, for both days and it was one of the best we had in jersey.

Best Western Inn Hazlet

Walkable from Hazlet NJ transit station, and also in close proximity to food joint like TGIF, friendly, iHOP and few chinese restaurants, and food market, Best Western is situated well on rte-35. The food delivery options are however limited. Breakfast is complementary, rooms have nice interior, and staff is friendly. It is recommended, not for a very long stay unless you have a car.



Taxi:
Here comes my favorite part, or the part I hate the most. If you' read my previous post, You know that transportation in New Jersey is a big issue. specially within Woodbridge, Monmouth and Middlesex counties. the Taxis do not have meters. they charge based on if you're traveling within or outside the town no matter the distance. The Buses and trains are limited or should I say the interconnection is very poor specially in some of the areas like old bridge township and Sayreville. I have had mixed experiences with taxi services.

Masood Taxi - Three drivers and three different stories. they usually arrive on time. but make sure you ask them the charges in advance. 

Bollywood Taxi - Yeah you read it right. a friendly saudi arabian, but he'll make you wait for hours. 

South Amboy Taxi -  Recommended 

Kelly Car Services - Not recommended, call only if you have no other choice. 

Hazlet Taxi - Highly recommended. had no issue with them at all. 



Food:



The Palace hotel Restaurant, fords:

Cuisine - Indian Veg/Nonveg
Food - Good
Ambience - 1 Star.
Expensive - Yes
Delivery- No, You can order by phone and pick up later.



Rasoi, Iselin


Cuisine - Indian Veg/Nonveg
Food - Good
Ambience - 3 Star.
Expensive - Yes
Delivery- No Idea.


Neelam, Middletown


Cuisine - Indian Veg/Nonveg
Food - Not Good. Its more on to the sweeter side, catering to international crowd I suppose. Daal was like water and Biryani was worst than a Pulao.
Ambience - I dint give much attention to the ambience as I just sat in one corner waiting for food.
Expensive - Yes
Delivery- No Idea.

Tower of India, Parlin

One of my favorite so far. The Ambiance is all right but the food is Great. They have buffet for lunch which is delicious. We have been there multiple times and pretty much tasted all what their menu has to offer, and there is nothing that we dint like so far.






iHop, Friendly, Scotts Pizza and King Vok Chinese restaurant are few more that I have tried so far. iHop is my all time favorite. Friendly is more non-veg friendly, but they make good tomato soup. Scott's Pizza Matawan was the only other choice except King Vok, their larger than life pizza can fill your apetite twice, however won't satisfy your taste-buds. King Vok makes really good fried rice and soup.



Shopping in New Jersey, not to mention is another nightmare. I do miss Papaya, Ross and Fry's, if there's few to name. Let just say, apart from the laid-back lifestyle, everything here is about New York, or so I feel.

until I discover more...

10 things I love about New York City

:) Now, did you not see it coming? of course you did, but not this sooner right? I am still two visit old, technically three, including the landing part and I am yet to see the night life, yet to spend at least 24 hours straight in here and guess what, I already am in love with NYC and here's why...

1. Every time I walk out of the Penn Station in 7th ave, I have this huge ear-to-ear smile on my face, and my ears wont stop ringing "New York New York" ( only this time its Ray Quinn and not Sinatra) Well, I never thought a city with Skyscrapers would ever do this to me. Its always been mountains, beaches, forests and rainbows, so how on earth it could be New York? Is it the people power or sheer energy that draws me in? or are these the New Jersey Blues? well I have been here just over 2 weeks so... What do you think?



2. Its an Advertisement Disneyland - and who doesn't love disney. Its so colorful with all the shining lights, billboards. Well Why wouldn't one love it if its just yesterday one made it up to the most expensive ad-space in the world for more than 40 seconds and labeled #SoRad, with out even waving my hands once. tell you I am awesome. ( wink wink)


3. From Mid town to Central Park, its the longest Ramp to walk on in the whole entire world. hold on I haven't seen Paris yet, but I am sure it wouldn't be 2 miles or I have to be there right now. It amazes me to see how much effort people make to dress up so fashionably and perfectly and just walk on the streets. Alright they might be out for work, partying, just shopping or hangin out, but some of us dont go beyond casuals ever, until or unless we are forced by the circumstances and its the need of the hour. perhaps staying in NYC for a while can fuse some sense in me to try beyond the casual and comfortable. fingers crossed. ( winks again)






4. Each one of us is an Elite here. No matter which country you are from, what language you speak, you're a top shot businessman or celebrity or just the ordinary-extraordinary the place makes you feel special, honor you welcomes you with a smile. and that exactly why...

5. People are just themselves. Expressing yourself in the way you choose, is the true language of freedom. You can bring out the fashionista in you, or you could be as comfortable an old shoe in your old shoes actually. People wont judge you. or they would but who cares. well mostly no one does and thats the beauty. I walk in a boho maxi with my all-star sneakers and I feel bloody good. 




6. For a change, pedestrians are the king. need I say more?

and there is another. There are rickshaws. Can you believe it? people from all backgrounds riding pedicabs for their respective reasons be it their contribution to the pollution free environment, money, exercise, or plain fun, well the mere sight of these manhattan rickshaws reminds me of India, and oh hold on... think I forgot to mention khokas for the first time, no not those mafia money bank.. the street side wooden tea and snacks stalls remember? (edited Apr 27th)

7. The history just appears and disappears as you walk. you take a turn and you'd find some historical spot, famous building, right in the corner. One minute you're least intimidated by the tall structures, just other minute, you go oh what is that.





8. With so much going around, you can still find your own quite corner to sit and meditate, or if you are not in to meditation you are free to do your own thing to do, which by the way are many to choose from.

9.I finally feel like I am pretty close to my favorite cartoon character. I can actually imagine him flying around left to right on the Time Square, well guess who. yup Spiderman Spiderman ;) Oh Yes I am singing the song/jingle/whatever. 




10. New York makes me appreciate California even more. No, its actually the entire East Coast that does, and that is, for few very simple reasons. the reasons that I talked about it one of my recent post. Oh dont throw bricks on me yet. I am warming up to jersey shore. but truth is truth, and here comes the shocker!!!  Hey....There is NO FRY'S, can you even believe it? 



Here comes the second... "The nearest Apple store is 16 miles away, and the public transport takes more than 3 hours to take me there" Okay may be second is bit invalid for NYC but NJ, but 29 bucks for a SD card reader is pretty unbelievable, specially if I am used to of paying 2 dollars for it. Lets just say, I'll quit being careless and probably take care of my electronics more. I'd appreciate and not mock the east coast folks who, whenever, they visit california, subsequently, pay a visit each time, to the nearest fry's store. folks I understand your needs. I seriously do.

I haven't yet set foot in the cool, granite foyer of the Empire State Building. I am yet to see the upper Manhattan, walk on brooklyn bridge, get involved in the art and life. I am yet to see New York, but let me just say once again here, Oh New York, you did it. I already love you.


Images shot using iPhone, the DSLR shots coming up soon....

2013 First Quarter Roundup

Before they all get diluted in my mind, here's the quick recap of places I 've been, things I 'd been up to for past 3 months, the individual posts will follow. *hopefully.



Delhi -

The year starts in a record breaking cold delhi, coldest since 1972 and me planning my next destination,   Prayag, Allahabad that is. I have finally convinced my parents to visit Maha Kumbh Mela, but I am still unsure about the travel date. Most of the websites mention January 25/27th as the start date however, traditionally its Makar Sankranti Jan 14th, when the Kumbh must begin. The most auspicious and biggest day i.e. Mauni Amavasya falls on Feb 10th and is totally impossible to make. its better to do it any day rather than not doing it at all so I finally settle down with a 20 hours visit to Maha Kumbh Mela, shortest anyone would have ever done.



Kumbh Mela 2013 -



The Mahakumbh Mela is long over and posting a few images on flickr, is all I have been able to do. I neither had time nor I was in the right state of mind to write what I really wanted to say about it. the web has been overloaded with articles and images, of almost all kind. the experience is surreal, yet different for everyone, I' too have something unique to write about, and I'd make sure I post it before next kumbh mela. :)


London - and not the one opposite Cleveland ;)



Here comes the next. With all that was going around, I couldn't get time to apply for a UK visa. I had to rework on my plans and that included only a 17 hours halt in london with a leap of faith. I wouldn't call my Heathrow Immigration experience hilarious but it was nothing less. with my bro living there, my first time in London, just got easier. I explored most of the popular areas in London by tube, buses and train with in that night, while it kept snowing in the city. quite an adventure it was.


Elephant Foot Glacier, Greenland -

This is NOT a sight i'd like to forget so easily. what if it was a little hazy from 30 thousand feet above. the glimpse of the greenland was nothing less than breathtaking. Yes I took the DSLR images but only later, i came to know that I have lost my SD card reader somewhere during my travels. So photos hopefully soon.


San Francisco -



I've been here n number of times, but this city always look refreshingly new. This time I went about exploring some lesser known areas and also did some trekking and beach hopping around San Fran and I cant wait to tell you about all those small places.

Chinese New Year Parade -

It was fun but not my favorite of course. the Two hour parade was good fun, Kids were the real savior for the photographer ( You'd understand what I meant by that in my full post). I brought back some images and they are waiting to be downloaded and processed.

Beach Hopping, Trekking, and long driving Pacific Coast -



Should be my favorite this. explored few more places on the CA1 and around. lots of driving and little hiking. weather god has been happy lately. and I had excellent views to soothe both my eyes and soul.

Hunting Live Music -


punk rock @ Santa cruz downtown


Hotel Hopping in New Jersey -



Oh Let me see if I still have something (read bad) to say about New Jersey. Its been a week, and lets just say, I am trying to understand the Jersey Way.  The Place is deserted, and exactly a 180 degree turn from what I am used to, and that has be shocked and surprised. Give it to my love for google maps and company of some good people, I havent freaked out yet. for now I am looking forward to a day trip to NYC and see if that makes me feel a little better.




New York City -



And thats tomorrow, the last day of the quarter and of the Long Easter weekend. Letsee whats in store for me. Fingers all crossed.


What I've missed - 

Alaska - Almost, almost made it. found a lovely friend right there in fairbanks to help me out and show me around as well, but I had to come to east coast. I haven't lost hope yet. Summer is not my favorite time to visit Alaska so I hope to visit the place later this year and hope to catch some spectacular northern lights.

Holi - was never part of the plan. but I still wish I could play no matter where I am. and It still a wish.

Chadar Trek - Another one from the wish list, its good to see so many friends have done it this year. and they had great experience. My time next year perhaps. :)

All photographs shot using iPhone4S native and other camera apps. noise reduction using adobe photoshop CS5.

10 things you should know before you hit The Jersey Shore Nightmare

If you've been following my tweets, past one week, you know its been a hard one on me, ever since I landed in NYC on Sunday night, its been CRAZY. I am a west coast baby and worst thing, I here for work, so you see I am not allowed to use my time freely and make it bit easier on me. anyways, this travel experience is technically the toughest I have ever had, and going by the lessons that I have learned in my first ever one week in the east coast, north new jersey, here are ten things that I'd like you to know before you even think of visiting this place. 

1. Taxi is a bit*** - yes you read it right. If you are relying on taking taxis for you daily commute. you are screwed. No Meters. No Bills. No commitment you'd wait forever for the taxi to arrive. and it WONT. 
2. Rudeness Personified - as a traveler, the people you interact with are the ones, who define the place for you. and I am NOT calling everyone rude here. but its the majority of people in the hospitality industry. from Hotel staff to Taxi cab, absolutely unhelpful.
3. If its business, you're in for a toss up. - a local with no business with you whatsoever, is the only people you can rely on. 
4. Its Indian, Pakistantis, Middle Easterns, and AfroAmericans, who' are putting New Jersey to shame. and I am not sorry to put anyone' up here in the list including indians. they are absolutely horrible to deal with and all thy care about is how much money they can mint from you. they'd spit right on your face and wont be sorry for doing so. 
5. Transportation - Amtrak, North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor and Many more transit services to name, and you might think the commuting in public transport is so easy? It NOT. all they are worried about is how to reach New York. there is very poor to no interconnection between train stations of different transit lines and services. You'd hardly see buses on the roads. if it wasn't transportation and accessibility, Frequency sucks, even on the weekdays. dont expect anything like a VTA light rail in silicon valley and London Tube. oh you're wise you weren't comparing. 
6. Hotels- wouldnt I come to it or you thought so. Better not read the reviews or you'd faint immediately. there are absolutely no budget hotel for less than $100 with a good review written about it, on any booking site be it expedia or trip-advisor or booking.com. and most of the reviews are unfortunately true.
7. Food - Even the holiday Inn can provide you boiled macaroni topped with raw spinach in the name of pasta. so you know you cant rely on hotels to get you good food. the place in all, doesnt have plenty of food options specially in monmouth county. 
8. Very few apartments in case you're looking for a long/short stay here. most of the people buy houses, rent individual rooms including basements to different groups/family/singles and get the mortgage out of the rent. 
9. Car Rental is the only way to go. that is if you can drive here. the place is accident prone. no signals at busy places. anybody turns anywhere, with people walking in the middle. Never seen the highway exits like here anywhere before and with GPS fooling you around, all the best to the driver you.
10. The Place is a Jungle. there I said it. and oh Not the kind of Jungles that I'd Love to explore, not even in the day, forget the evening/night time.

One week, I can go on and on...and yes I dont have anything good to say about this place yet. If I change my mind, I will let you know. wish me luck. 

13 photography projects ideas for 2013

New year, new resolutions, and one of the most common photography resolution is to do a 365 days project. I know you can start in any day in the year, and you can even do a 52 week project, which in my opinion is more do-able, ( i.e. if you're serious about producing things extra-ordinare, you"can" build entire frame in mind and later implement and execute it with in a week. ) but beginning a project on 1st of january has its own charm right. just like on your birthday or anniversary. But here is the thing,  If you've not yet started a #Project365, or you've started and left in a week,  (its 12th day of the year) did not like what you created ( it wasn't incredible, or up to your standard. trust me it happens) i.e you're one like me who's been miserable at it, you must know, world will never run out of ideas. or if it does, and you' dont want to think much, there's inspiration flowing everywhere you look, all you have to do is to "google".

As I mentioned in my year end post,  I had been jotting down a few creative photography ideas that I am looking forward to do in future. there are already many posts on internet full of classic ideas, what matters however is how you execute them. here I have 13 of my favorites lined up and ready to be shared with you all. which can not only improve you photography by many levels, but can also tickle your creative bones for good.

1-  iPhone Creativity - App Art

"an iPhone is enough to awake the artist in you"

photo courtesy - http://www.iphoneart.com/  by DraMan 

With thousands of art and photography applications available on it, iPhone undoubtedly is my very first choice when it comes to searching for a new project ideas. forget Instagram or any other filtered photo-sharing app, grungy backgrounds and distorted photos, the photo processing applications on iPhone can take your photograph up ten levels. You can almost create anything. All you have to do is be a kid, be open to learn some cool apps and get going. look for inspiration on iphoneart.com ( no they aren't sponsoring me, I love the website)



2- Minimalistic

Minimalistic is best project to do if you want to product photography in future. With the arrival of Mobile photography, we have begin to notice tiny little things around us and shoot and share them. you can extend that habit, get creative and shoot your small/singular subject in a minimalistic way. the idea is not to crowd the frame. You can make a canvas out of anything, your face, body, a simple wall, an empty photo frame, or anything with sober surreal background, and create a story around it.


3- PhotoShop | Double Exposure | Merge | Silhouettes

photo courtesy-http://www.mymodernmet.com/ 

Learning new PhotoShop techniques or improving your processing skills is always a good option to choose as a new year project.  When it comes to photography skills, there are many projects that you can do. Pick-up One new technique, let say merging two or more shots, and bring your project around it. You can create frame from one of the photograph and fill it with words, verses, things that you love or anything. Double exposure, Motion Blur, Silhouettes are few more techniques that you can put your project around.

4- Miniature / Small World Project

"I'd like to remember the time, when I had handful of toys, miniatures, playing house-house''

photo courtesy - http://www.orerofotografia.com/ 

Well, You'can still buy a few, or get your own miniature done as well, and take it along with you wherever you go and photograph it at each place you'd feel like taking a self-portrait.

A very simple project this, but have vast options. you can create your own miniature world or set of world and shoot them with all your creativity.



5- Then & Now (Past Meets Present)

photo courtesy - http://verybadfrog.com/

After much search I found the exact photograph I was looking for. "Past and Present" can be of various kind. most of the projects you'll see online are the frames with a hand holding a old photograph positioned well on the new frame. Thats not what I am talking about.

Most of the project I've laid down here need you to be more engaging. more engaging with the subject, and surrounding and seeking information from it. the photo above fits the bill. The best part, You'd dont have to find and shoot only your now and then photographs. You can shoot your siblings, friends, and even the people you meet. Now dont tell me,  you've never met someone who showed you his/her family albums to create more conversations.  ;) 


6- Memories ( Expats)

Alright, this wont suit you if, you've been living at once place your entire life. this is for people like me, even when I was not a nomad or expat, My family has been perfect fit for "movers & Shakers". We have moved to several houses with in the city. One of these days, I want to visit all those houses and see how they look like now. then came the wish to see all those places I've stayed in for days/week/years. Well, it might be difficult to photograph all of them, from the past at-least, but a project is always about what you can really do. your efforts are what matters the most. so if not in the past, the traveler you, may as well line this up for a future project.


7- Volunteer / Social Cause Documentary Project

If you already volunteer for a social cause, or if there’s a social issue you feel very strongly about, and want to explore, get engaged in it, a photo project centering on it is not only a good documentation subject but can also be very fulfilling personally. You can plan it as per your volunteering schedule so its not extra overhead, also incase you dont have that many days in the year to get involve in long projects there are always photography projects like "Help-Portrait" which you can take part in.


8- Complete your family Tree

photo courtesy - kickstarter.com

Yes, Keep geni or any other service out of discussion for a while, what we are talking about is a photography project. I mean what better way to meet you Cousins, Your aunt, you met where you' were little,  your relatives settled across the city or country, one marriage you miss and you 've miss the perfect gathering of generations. Remember one of the wish in my Letter to Santa was to find my ancestors history and heritage? Its not gonna be easy, Its india, I mean how old am i, and my passport DOB is incorrect, I have no photo of my childhood.  wont accomplish it by just browsing through a library or two, or traveling to Mandore or Osian in Rajasthan, and I'd know it all Its India with vast history and small stories are burned levels down, you cant dig. But above project can definitely help, or rather I'd say one of the first few steps to learn about your Ancestors.


9- Know your city

photo courtesy - http://www.historytoday.com/

I always, always, wanted to shoot Delhi, the capital of India and my birth place, explore it, know its history. I think each and everyone of us, have certain attachment with our roots. So bring out the hidden, unique and true frames from your city. the techniques, can be any. the result should be the character. your photos can tell the world what the city is all about. good or bad, its the interpretation and it's in your own language.


10- Follow your favorite Artist/Band/s

And by that I dint mean, being a Rock Band photographer, I mean that would be awesome, no? but that depends on the opportunity, you can always follow a local favorite band of yours, which your friends are involved in/ are part of. Pop/Rock Artist/Band photography is happening, but incase you are not one of those lucky ones, What you can still do is to take up their future Song/Album subject and shoot it in your full creativity. Know about The Maroon 5 Album Hand's all over? and the cover shot by Rosie Hardy which the band picked up on flickr search ) who know's your photograph will be on you're favorite Artist Next CD cover. 



11- Shoot your possessions, things you love ( and not of others)

photo courtesy - chinasmack.com

You must 've heard about this historical project by,  When I learned about this project first, the very first thing that came in my mind was, how much trouble it could be for these people to pull all the belongings, small or big, everything out of the house and get it all back inside and set it up again. but trouble was what make these project great perhaps.

My idea is a bit different. its more personal, an exploration of your surroundings. things those you love, and those you need. things those you have forgotten you ever had. things you might not need any more they are just lying there because you never noticed them. Shooting your possessions can be creative. it can be minimalistic, you can combine multiple items together and shoot. the atmosphere in the photograph is totally up to you. You can also include your loved ones in the project.

Not only that you are documenting the life around you, you can also collect the unused items and perhaps give them away to someone in indeed. there, you've done your social service too.


12- Shoot your favorite Book 

if you are no short of resources, you can stage an entire book, best way to bring you imagination on print. take up one of your favorite book, you can initiate the project with a short story, small one, begin with characters, imagine who around you can best fit those characters. bring in the atmosphere, arrange the set up and shoot. :)


13-  Photo of everyone YOU MEET

Here comes the toughest one. Can you really do this? Every interaction? Its a project for a lifetime. Its a project that'll have you on alert 24X7. perhaps that would be too much? I know I have missed those cylinder delivery guys and auto and sabji walas to immigration officers.

what however is easier to do document it for each travel.  Just keep a reminder at first. once you're used to of doing it. it'll be simpler. a portrait photo book of 50/100 people you met on your xyz expedition, sounds great isn't it?