'CAT-MANTIS' The Praying Cat

I'd call it

'CAT-MANTIS'

The Praying Cat

Riding a motor-bike one evening with my nephew on the scenic route along the Pomburpa Creek in Bardez, Goa, while on a vacation there, way back in the late 1990's, we came across this cat sitting at the base of a cross on the road-side. In the course of coming slowly to a halt, the cat still sat proudly, looking directly into the camera lens, and appeared to be in no hurry to move away while I took this shot, seemingly giving the impression it was guarding the cross from the ravages of time. Such shrines are commonly seen dotted along the river banks, beaches, roadsides and in front of some Christian homes in the villages of Goa.

In the Name of the Father

Starting a Catholic Prayer

with the Sign of the Cross

A Photographic Experience

A Story of the Bangalore City Policeman 

~ A Photographic Experience ~

(Kodak Film, not Digital)!

It was back in the rocking 1980's. My wife and I, with our 3 small children were on a vacation in the city of Bangalore, India. It was pleasant afternoon. We were browsing around in the shopping area along Mahatma Gandhi Road in the heart of the city.  As usual I was in my usual quest and mood for taking photographs. Panning around with my camera I happened to see a smartly dressed traffic policeman across the street in the view-finder. Precisely at that instance the cop must have noticed that my camera was pointed in his direction from that angle. Somehow having caught my attention, he motioned out to me across the street to see him. I crossed the street along with my wife and kids. "Hello Officer", I said. Immediately after that my wife pleaded: "Sorry Officer, we didn't do anything wrong, did we?" As for me, I thought the cop was going to rip the film out from my camera. Without saying anything at all, and keeping a stiff upper lip at the same time, he put his hand in his shirt pocket . And while he did so, I thought he was about to issue me a ticket or a fine or something of that nature. It turned out that he handed me a visiting card instead saying: "I think you are a good photographer." He even let me take a full close up of him.  "Please send my pictures that you have taken to the address on this card." he added. Promising that we surely would, with a sigh of relief, we headed to the nearest restaurant for a cold beer followed by lunch. Back in Goa after our enjoyable vacation in South India, I had the films processed and printed. Conscientiously, and true to my word I sent the policeman his photographs with a short note about our experience, my name and address. To this I received a reply from him in the mail thanking me and saying: "You are really a very good photographer. I've received the photographs. Thank you."

April 1969

One and a half year after I first landed in Dubai,

I flew on by B.O.A.C. 

(British Overseas Aircraft Corporation)

 in a VC-10 Aircraft

to Bombay and Goa on my first vacation.

Here I am holding on tight

to my precious BOAC plane ticket.

Flying executive style in a suit and tie

was the norm then,

with the iconic

BOAC air hand-bags which were

quite popular and seen everywhere.

One Day at a Time

 I am thankful to the Lord

for letting me take small steps,

albeit a few,

and not big strides,

than to have not been able

to take any steps at all.

GOA, GOING, GONE!

Goan Gone Too Far

It's not where you walk...

It's who walks with you.

Thanks to the Lord

I am thankful to the Lord

for letting me take small steps,

 albeit a few,

 and not big strides,

than to have not been able

 to take any steps at all.

Thank You to the OOAK TEAM