Reflection

Lotte Tower: Seoul’s Giant That Won’t Be Ignored

Some buildings blend in. Lotte Tower is not one of them. It demands your attention—whether it’s the audacious leap into the sky, the curiously bulbous middle, or the way it lights up the night like a futuristic lighthouse.

Standing at 555 metres with 123 floors, it proudly claims its place among the world’s tallest buildings. But statistics aside, the real magic is underneath. Tilt your head back, take it all in, and for a fleeting moment, the sky doesn’t seem so far away.

Or maybe that’s just the vertigo talking.

#LotteTower #SeoulSkyline #TouchTheSky

Dance, music and colour. You are running between places and suddenly, at the end of the street, a street performance.
You just stop. And look. And then see more than what’s on. In flowing flawless white with a whip of a red and blue, the artists move with elan.
The drizzle threatens. But people are on a song and dance. The twirl of the ribbon and the music from the instrument colour the grey sky.
(at Seoul, South Korea)

More Alike Than We Think: A Tribute to Korea’s Independence Day

To walk through a new country, pick up its words, and lose yourself in its culture is to realise that home is not just a place—it’s a feeling. The warmth of strangers, the kindness in shared smiles, and the quiet understanding that, beneath it all, we are more alike than we think.

Our differences? Striking. Our similarities? Unexpected. Both, worth celebrating.

And so, on this day, as Korea marks its Independence, a simple wish: May we all keep moving forward, embracing the unfamiliar, and finding pieces of home wherever we go.

Happy Independence Day, Korea! 🇰🇷

Chaos, Order, and the Mind’s Eye

Chaos and order aren’t about what we see—they’re about how we see. A neatly stacked pile eventually topples. A tangled mess, given time, reveals its own quiet logic.

The most structured plan can unravel in seconds. The most chaotic moment can, strangely, feel just right. Maybe order is just a matter of patience, and chaos, a test of perspective.

Look closer. Beyond the clutter, beyond the randomness—there’s always a pattern waiting to be noticed.

The Rajabai Tower: When Timekeeping Became a Monument to Love

Some build monuments to power. Others, to love. Premchand Roychand, a wealthy businessman, built the Rajabai Tower for something both grand and simple—to help his blind mother keep time.

Modelled after Big Ben, its chimes once echoed across Mumbai, guiding her through the day. A full-fledged clock tower just so a mother could tell time—now that’s devotion on another level.

He must have been some man. And she, some mother.

Centuries later, the tower still stands. A reminder that love, like time, leaves its mark.

The Magic of In-Between

That fleeting moment when the sun bows out and the streetlights blink awake—there’s something magical about it. A hush, a shift, a quiet handing over of time.

Day’s last breath, night’s first whisper. The night creatures stretch, the day ones retreat. And for a brief, golden moment, both share the stage.

Transitions are like that. They hold the past, hint at the future, and let us linger in the present just long enough to feel the change.

And isn’t that where the real magic happens?

Where Does the Sea Begin? A Child’s Questions at Marine Drive

We sit by the sea, watching its endless waves. She sits beside me, tossing questions like pebbles into the water.

“Where does the sea begin and where does it end?”
“Can we build a new sea?”
“If we can’t build a new sea, then we must take care of this one, right?”

I nod. She’s here for answers. I came here for the breeze. But she’s stirring up a storm.

Somewhere, I hope the right men and women are listening. Because the sea has no voice—except for those who ask the right questions.

 (at Marine Drive Mumbai)

How Many Umbrellas to Block One Sun?

How many umbrellas does it take to block out the one Sun?

And yet, each throws a different colour, bending light into its own little universe.

Shapes shift, shadows stretch, and a quiet dance begins—patterns forming, fading, reforming.

People walk through it, oblivious or enchanted. Some are part of the dance. Some don’t even know they are.

The Sun plays. The umbrellas respond. The world moves on.

Who’s watching? Who’s noticing?

#umbrella #Sun #Madurai #summer #culture #life #ordinary #traveller #instatravel #instapassport #blogger #travelblogger #blogging #traveladdict #traveltheworld #wanderlust #play #lessons #india #metaphor #love #reflection #purpose #latergram
#season #future (at Madurai, India)

Life is a Series of Choices—Make Them Count!

Life isn’t just lived—it’s chosen. Every moment, every turn, every ‘yes’ and ‘no’ shapes where we stand today and where we’ll go tomorrow.

We are the sum of our choices. Some lead to open doors, others to lessons. But each one writes a part of our story.

Choose with care. Choose with courage. Because the fruits of good choices don’t just nourish the present—they secure the future.

#choice #health #fruits #stories #culture #life #ordinary #traveller #instatravel #instapassport #blogger #travelblogger #blogging #traveladdict #traveltheworld #wanderlust #play #lessons #india #metaphor #love #reflection #purpose
#season #future (at Gurgaon, Haryana)

Madurai’s Mud Horses: Raw, Real, and Rooted in Tradition

There’s something about the rural plains that feels like a deep breath. A pause. A reset. Maybe it’s the colour—bold, unapologetic, woven into every fabric, wall, and festival. Maybe it’s the lack of sterile perfection, the absence of polished edges. Everything here is raw, textured, and gloriously authentic.

Take these mud horse statues from Madurai. Bright, defiant, standing tall against time. They aren’t crafted for galleries; they are made for the land, the people, the stories. Each jagged line, each uneven brushstroke carries a tale. There’s no need for refinement when there’s meaning. No need for symmetry when there’s soul.

Walking through these lands, surrounded by these colours, I feel something shift. A reminder of where I come from. The earth beneath my feet is familiar, yet always new. My roots, like these statues, breach fresh ground—seeking, stretching, growing.

Perhaps that’s the gift of places like this. They don’t conform. They don’t pretend. They simply are. And in their raw beauty, they remind us to be, too.

#village #Madurai #passion #rural #stories #culture #life #ordinary #traveller #instatravel #instapassport #blogger #travelblogger #blogging #traveladdict #traveltheworld #wanderlust #play #lessons #india #roads #metaphor #love #reflection #purpose
#temple (at Madurai, India)