Little Sister

Talia needed some new headshots. I took some formal ones, and then I let her jewfro down.





This photo is for Taylor Glascock, who wanted to know if Cedric was getting attention from the ladies.

Sankrathi in Charminar

Charminar is one of my favorite places in Hyderabad. The sounds of bangle salesmen, honking horns and the Islamic call to worship come together in a symphony of urban sounds. It's usually pretty busy, but more people were there because of the holiday. Right next to Charminar Gate, there is a small Hindu temple which was celebrating Sankrathi. The temple was serving lunch to people, while others waited to pray. With all of the different religions in Hyderabad, it's interesting to see how they manifest themselves in a national holiday.

Power Problems

Electricity is becoming a problem in Hyderabad. The power grids can't handle the urban sprawl. So, it's not surprising when half the house fazes out for 3 hours. This happens when the electric companies try and distribute the power in the neighborhood. Efforts are being made to try and conserve the electricity, but it's difficult. There is a street in Charminar, known as Bangle Alley, in which hundreds of little shops selling bangles line the road. One of these shops, Kanahiyala Motilal Karwa, caught on fire when the shop experienced a power shortage. A crowd of people stood outside the shop, so I slid through to the front of the crowd. When I got to the store, one of the men asked me if I was a reporter, I nodded and said, "Yeah, I am a photojournalist." (With a huge smile on my face)

Cedric is popular.

Cedric's ego is getting a little big. When we went out to the orphanage, David had Cedric as his laptop background. Raj Kumar and Dad are also big fans. I'm trying to control the size of his head, before it gets too big.

A Visual Treat for Sankrathi

Makara Sankrathi or Sankrathi for short, is the 4 day harvest festival celebrated this week. It is celebrated throughout the country, but is especially significant in Andhra Pradesh. Fireworks go off at night, children fly kites high in the air and bright Rangoli (chalk drawings) are made outside the homes. In my neighborhood, there are usually white chalk Rangoli outside the homes. For Sankrathi, bright colored chalk, flowers and other materials are used to create the special Rangoli. Walking around and looking at these beautiful designs was a visual feast.

It rained on the first day of the holiday, so many of the chalk drawings washed away.