What are you working on? And how are you working on whatever you are working on?
The Albert Victor Bridge in Madurai was built in 1886 and was supposed to last a 100 years! It’s still standing. Being of value and use to the day. Long after the engineers went back and the river ran dry.
Good work solves problems. Great work solves problems, through time as well. The option to do both exists all the time. The choices are ours to make.
(at Madurai, India)
If you cant showcase your ware, you cant sell. It is as simple as that. The days of building a better mousetrap and the world beating a path to your door is gone. Perhaps never existed.
Right at the middle of a busy road this balloon vendor used his bike to set up his store. As Madurai erupted in joyous splendour at the Chithirai Festival, this guy struck an ingenious bargain with the cops. He will lend his bike to act as a barricade against traffic movement.
Having secured the real estate, he put out a mega display of all that he had to sell during the day.
Lo and behold he sold them all.
There are ways of showcasing your work. Subtle, functional, ingenious and authentic. It makes a difference.
Its possible with a little bit of imagination.
The balloon seller taught me that.
He appeared with a tap on my shoulder. Amidst all the jostle that the crowd indulged in, he appeared calm. The surprise of the riot of colour on his face caught my eye.
He smiled and showed me the vessel he held. Ah money, I thought. It paints the town red. In this case, a deep devilish pink and adorned with trinkets in their glory.
The crowd continued to swirl and sweat in the middle of Madurai’s Chithirai Festival. I pulled out the wallet with great care and thrust a few notes into his vessel. It was his turn to be surprised.
Perhaps it was the quantum of money.
Perhaps it was the fact that I gave at all. Maybe it was the minor gymnastics I had to perform to pull out the wallet and extract a few notes.
His surprise gave way to a smile and lead to a pat on my head with a peacock feather that he seemed to pull out from nowhere.
Could he smile for a picture, I ask?
He stands, smiles and then in a minute dances to a new tune and melts into the crowd.
Long after he is gone, the azure blue stays with me. Have you wondered if you wear a paint to earn a living?
His devilish pink, trinket trodden face, with that warm smile did that to me.
(at Madurai, India)
You cant miss the beats from miles away. A lot of it is happening in the immediate vicinity. But the bridge to the rest of it happens in memory.
Folklore adorns the main street as rural Madurai dances in ever so expansive ways. Bare chested with bells and whistles all over. Both in the adornments and in the ease of movement.
The Chithirai festival is here. There is a festivity in the air. There is dance & music. Not the choreographed staple that makes its staple on TV, but a rather authentic raw form. The steps don’t match all the time and the beats don’t rhyme.
But there is joy in the air. A gay abandon if you will. Of piety. Of culture and a spontaneous overflowing of happy energy. A new warp and weft to an old tradition.
It is such a treat to the senses. For it gives you a sense of culture and roots. It soothes the soul and renders a renewal of sorts. In each step and beat, a renewal to old memories and fresh dreams.
It is a joy to see a chef in action. Especially the amateurs who pursue the elements of the kitchen during the weekend. As a hobby. A passion, if you will.
In the moments that it takes for the perfect recipe to make its way from a piece of paper to a dish that first titillates the eye and later accosts the taste buds, creativity rules.
The more creative a good chef is, less the problem in giving away recipes. After all, it’s not in the recipe! 🙂
(at Madurai, India)
