The road not taken.

Joshi (?)Bungalow, BCL Lane, Deccan

I go to the British Council Library on some weekends.  My father is a member. It’s near Deccan Gymkhana.   I was early and walked up the lane next to it to see what lay ahead.  Two apartment buildings were undergoing a facelift.  They will become business hotels.  And in one lot was this crumbling bungalow.  Must be from the early 1940’s or maybe even older.   I sat on a concrete pipe and drew it.  Light drizzle of rain. 

Later at the British Council Library I scored.  They were having a booksale.  Books that have now been worn out and are being withdrawn and some “slow movers”. 

Guess what was moving slow? A Three volume set of Cunninghams Oxford press Manual of Practical Human Anatomy!  A very good anatomy reference for my collection.  I have been trying to learn basic human anatomy to draw figures reasonably accurately.  Vastus Medius is an extensor. Really.  An exciting  moment in my life.

What was worn?  “Secret Knowledge”. A very good quality art book by David Hockney. It’s his thesis that a lot of artists just after the 1500’s started using optics to help them draw.  They would use mirrored lenses to create an image on a paper as reference and then use that as basis of human portraits.  Ingres, Vermeer, are amongst the artists he thinks used such aids.   A very controversial book.  Even I was not sure I wanted to hear that those artists were ‘copying’ .   Buts it’s a good read. And has some really good reproductions of many famous art works.
Also purchased: “History of British Art” ( Blah.). And a good book by Metcalfe about Colonial architecture. It’s interesting reading about many of the old British era buildings one sees in India.    All in all a grand total of INR 450. Or About USD 9.  Amitabh’s a winner.  And the sweet librarian lady now thinks I’m a medical doctor.  

Slippery when wet

Across from "Roopali", Fergusson Road

It's monsoon season!  My cars tires were threadbare. As in, you could actually see the steel belts.   I had been postponing changing them. Finally did it this weekend.  Also changed my wipers.  Somehow, felt I have better grip when I left the service station.  I’m sure it’s all in my mind.  Will go out to the hills for a trek this weekend to celebrate this minor event of monsoon maintenance.

After I gave my car in, I walked around and had breakfast.  Drew this bike against the red shutters.  Got about fifteen minutes before they went up.  And cars parked along the sidewalk.  I painted the drawing at home later.  I took a reference photo.  But the red color in the photo seems really different from what I remembered.

Running and street dogs- I

Inside Goodluck Cafe

It’s a common sight in most Indian towns.   Free range urban dogs can be seen at garbage bins or moving singly or in packs along most streets.  They are considered a menace and Pune has in the last month recorded an unusually high number of dog bites.

I usually run around 6:30 am through 8:30 am.  It’s too hot after that and the traffic accompanied by pollution from vehicle exhausts also becomes unbearable.  During one 15 km run I had counted about 40- 50 dogs along my route.

Here are some suggestions about running past dogs that seem like they are waiting to chase you down.

First, some behavioral observations and what they mean to you.  I must mention that I like dogs in general.  While I am not defender of the ‘street dogs” (It’s not a great life in any case for them) I am against culling them by poison or other painful means. If you are fearful of dogs you should stay alert and keep a few pebbles handy so you can throw them in the dog’s general direction when you see them.

 Dogs are territorial. It’s important to be aware of what that space maybe.  If the dog seems to belong to the house by the street, or is attached to a group of huts or shanties by the road side, about a meter or two into the road and along the length of their house is what they typically consider their space.  So give in to them and go around.   Dogs around garbage bins are usually scavenging. They don’t really care about you unless you look like competition.   Running close to a feeding dog may generate aggression.  Dogs are also unpredictable and moody. The same dog that barked at you when you went past first may completely ignore you on your way back. Or vice versa. 

What can you do about them?  See Part II.

Frangipani and dosas.

This is a popular restaurant called "Vaishali".  It sits across from the  British Library on Fergusson Road.  Close to Deccan Gymkhana area.   College kids spend many an hour there, hanging out, eating crisp Dosas and drinking coffee.

Vaishali, Fergusson Road, Pune.

It's usually crowded and hard to find a spot, especially in the garden section in the back.  Tasty vegetarian "Udupi"( South Indian) food is served fast and hot. The wait staff is polite and efficient.  Alumni of the nearby 150 year old Fergusson college are very fond of this landmark from their youth.  Generations of Fergussonians return to this restaurant when they visit Pune.  Some don't seem to have left.  Go there in the late afternoon to have a relaxed snack before the evening crowds pour in.