Another sketch with pencil colors. The reference picture was one of the pictures I took in Atlanta Botanical Garden. It has not turned out to be as good... Sunday night was our joint drawing time, Ashutosh was sketching Incredible Hulk and I was sketching a Tulip. Fun times.

I got my new camera Canon 60D 2 weeks back. The camera itself is very good and took some really brilliant shots. I liked the colors, the big ISO range and the max shutter speed was quite good compared to my current camera Canon XSI. But then I decided to return it, get my old camera repaired and get some more accessories instead of buying a new camera. I think my current camera is enough for the amount of photography I do, but in order to try something new I need some filters and a wide angle lens.

Last Friday, we went to Gas Works Park, from there you get to see the Seattle Skyline over South Lake Union. We packed dinner and went to the park around evening. The plan was to make a time lapse video of sunset over the downtown and lake. The video can be seen here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/98375204@N00/6070775700/ Again, not exactly as we wanted, but it was our first try. Hope to get some better ones next time.

Yesterday I was wondering, how it is to visit a place without a camera... I was not sure what I would do if I did not have a camera with me. I am being weird. :-s

What I did today morning...

So I am done with my latest mobile application. I don't have much to do now other than thinking what to do next. So I decided to paint. I started with water colors but the paper I was using was not good for water colors. Finished what I was doing with water which did not look good at all. Then I took my pencil colors, and started sketching some flowers. It turned out nice. Painted after almost 3-4 years... Felt good. I hope to do some more in the time I have.

Beautiful Seattle

It has been more than two months since we have moved to Seattle. And I love this place so much already. Ok! I have only seen the summer till now, but hey, I think I can live the winters waiting for this beautiful summer.

Seattle is such a beautiful place. Its not only Seattle, places around Seattle are so full of greens and blues and various other colors. There are so many small locations around the city from where you can see such beautiful views of the lakes, mountains and bays. Every Thursday/Friday I do my research which place to visit on the weekend. And there are so many options to go! I am now thinking of doing trips even on the weekdays but that means I will have to go without my husband which is not so much fun.

I am waiting eagerly for my new camera. My 3 year old Canon XSi got a scratch on its sensor (I think I did it while I was cleaning the sensor :( ). I never wish for infinite amount of money, but whenever I am thinking of photography I always wish I had that infinite stash of money to buy all the camera gear I want. The list is actually not long, but still it costs a lot. When I got into photography, I knew it was an expensive hobby but then I also thought I would be working all the time. Now, that I am not working it is becoming more challenging, not that my loved ones don't support me, but me being me I will not take them for granted and spend the money on something which I enjoy. Hope to get back to work soon or hope to win a lottery! The chances of the former one are more than the latter one because I am not even betting on the lottery... he he.

Coming back to Seattle, this weekend is going to be Mt. Rainier, hopefully. It is such a beautiful mountain. I am so happy seeing it from Seattle itself. It has snowed a lot last winter, so the now has not melted yet and the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom it seems. I have to go to these places at the right time to get the best pictures. I wish to wake up at 3 am and be there before sunrise, but I will keep that for some other weekday since it will be hard to convince my husband to wake up at 3 am. :D.

I am super excited for the new camera and the weekend Mt. Rainier trip !I will post some pictures if we do go to Mt. Rainier.

I can't wait to go to Alaska... I want to visit it so badly that I keep reading and seeing pictures of that place very often.

I have been wanting to see Aurora Borealis since I have known about it. Wildlife, Aurora, Greens, Lakes... its all so beautiful.

Its sure the next big vacation, other than trip to India, is Alaska! The name itself is so majestic "Alaska"! :D

Some time in life there comes a phase, a phase where you can't speak out what's going on in your heart, your mind. It's not that you don't trust anyone, it's just that you don't know how will they take it and if they will understand it. These times need to be fought by yourself. And for that you need strength. A lot of strength.

I am struggling for that strength...

I am missing India... my home, my family, my nieces and nephews and the sheer joy of playing with them in the garden... and after so many days I am crying because I am missing them... and I am writing it here because I can't talk it out to anyone... It is my decision to live here and I can't justify why I am crying. I have spent my whole morning looking at the pictures of my family when I have 100 other things to do... I am scared of going back to India for good due to many reasons!

Happiness

Sometime happiness don't need a reason. Today seems one of those days... Nothing special... just another summer morning. No rains or the smell of rains, no special gifts, no phone calls with loved ones, no good news, no good food... nothing special. It is just the feeling that is making me happy...

I have been having such days for sometime now and I am loving it. Its a nice feeling of satisfaction. I have been doing all the things that I love, except one - playing sports. Hope to get back to that soon. I quit from my 9-5 job 6 months back. I have been looking for a new one on and off... but during last 6 months, I have been working on a lot of different things than I have worked in last 3 years at my job. And I also have an amazing guide which I have always wanted to point me in the right direction when it comes to work. Yep, my husband. We have been coding together. It is not the ideal romantic relationship, but both of us are not that kind of people either. I have always wanted to work with someone who is good and does not do my performance review. Well, I have that person now. We do fight sometime when he becomes too picky about the code and I become too possessive about my code... but then hopefully we both understand that and let it go. It has been fun overall. At the end of the day, it is good to marry a person to talk to in the same language that you would talk to your friends... may it be geeky.

Too much of coding life... but hey, its fun having brainstorming session at 1 am lying in the same bed. ;-)