Wordpress it is!

I have moved to Wordpress.
After much introspection and discussion on what Blogger and Wordpress are capable of, I figured a one-stop shop was needed instead of multiple links. What's wonderful about Wordpress is that everything I've blogged till now has been archived in a link, which is pretty cool.

See you there.

Digital marketing and us

So we are in this pseudo-socio world where we live with our own reflections more than anything else. While we are too engrossed with ourselves, there are people out there monetizing our self-worship. The more you post about yourself and the more people respond to your posts, the more accurate gets the sellers' search for their target audience. It has been proven that the more you visit Facebook, the more you spend randomly. Looking at others' happiness makes you want to buy things to stay equally happy.

Things you search for, but may not buy gets retargeted at you. Search and ye shall find. Retarget and ye shall sell eventually. All Google is concerned with now, is to make you buy as much, and Amazon is its direct competition. All creative efforts today from writing, designing, coding, editing, and photography are focussed on just one goal - to make you splurge. And all of a sudden all our purchases are necessary and crucial. The writers' catchy phrases need to be engaging, the designer makes sure that your scrolling brings forth the eye candy, the coders bring the meta tags to the first page and the photographers get the right light falling the product. Thats a lot of talent aimed at one purpose and they will not fail. Take a look at this sponsored page by Royal Stag. The content has been created entirely for the ad placed at the bottom of the page.

More on this later. Its time for me to figure out my <em> html code and tags </em>.

Digital marketing

As I packed my bags and headed for the metro station for my digital marketing classes, I thought to myself- how do I take all this content created on my blog over the last 11 years to a more visible platform? The answer arrived to me in class. First;y, move all my Blogger content to WordPress. Today. Add various other aspect, elements and functions to your content and increase the connect with various other similar content.
Lets hope that gets me somewhere.

The world has changed radically from Web 1.0 days. Behaviors are captured, calculated, index and monetized quicker and purposefully. One's entire purpose of creating any content has to have a target audience, recall value, brand building and call for action to end the message. Then you go back to bringing the targeted audience back to you with engaging content, feedback and action on the engagement.

Looking at the increasing alienation of people and yet interconnected behavior, your infrastructure needs to work double time to know what to do with all that information. Your writers need to create smart, engaging content, your coders should know what structure to create and your business development guys should be creative and opportunistic to know how to expand into areas that can capture more.

Since I have also started learning to code on codeacademy.com, I now understand the structure of a page a bit more than before. But it all boils down to interesting stuff. Look at what Scoop Whoop is doing. They post interesting content which ends with a linked ad. That is content targeted at a product. The teams that create these pages have talented copy writers just developing content thats light on text; in fact barely more than 100 words on the entire page, lots of pictures and interesting captions. You click on interesting, trending content that takes you to the page where the ads are placed.
All content has to be made readable by Google's crawlers. So the limelight gets turned away Adobe Flash - which was a must have skill back in the early 2000s. The way ahead is structured, relevant content in responsive pages.
This article is written during my digital marketing course from Edupristine. The 12 classes are being conducted in Connaught Place next to Regal Cinema hall on Sundays. Other classmates work in Kart Rocket and Exhibitions India. There is way too much going on out there to ignore.

Digital marketing

As I packed my bags and headed for the metro station for my digital marketing classes, I thought to myself- how do I take all this content created on my blog over the last 11 years to a more visible platform? The answer arrived to me in class. First;y, move all my Blogger content to WordPress. Today. Add various other aspect, elements and functions to your content and increase the connect with various other similar content.
Lets hope that gets me somewhere.

The world has changed radically from Web 1.0 days. Behaviors are captured, calculated, index and monetized quicker and purposefully. One's entire purpose of creating any content has to have a target audience, recall value, brand building and call for action to end the message. Then you go back to bringing the targeted audience back to you with engaging content, feedback and action on the engagement.

Looking at the increasing alienation of people and yet interconnected behavior, your infrastructure needs to work double time to know what to do with all that information. Your writers need to create smart, engaging content, your coders should know what structure to create and your business development guys should be creative and opportunistic to know how to expand into areas that can capture more.

Since I have also started learning to code on codeacademy.com, I now understand the structure of a page a bit more than before. But it all boils down to interesting stuff. Look at what Scoop Whoop is doing. They post interesting content which ends with a linked ad. That is content targeted at a product. The teams that create these pages have talented copy writers just developing content thats light on text; in fact barely more than 100 words on the entire page, lots of pictures and interesting captions. You click on interesting, trending content that takes you to the page where the ads are placed.
All content has to be made readable by Google's crawlers. So the limelight gets turned away Adobe Flash - which was a must have skill back in the early 2000s. The way ahead is structured, relevant content in responsive pages.
This article is written during my digital marketing course from Edupristine. The 12 classes are being conducted in Connaught Place next to Regal Cinema hall on Sundays. Other classmates work in Kart Rocket and Exhibitions India. There is way too much going on out there to ignore.

Pink sky

Pink sky. Does it exist?
Do get out more, put it on your list.

Hit the highway. Stop. Look up at the big blue.
No, it is not violet enough. Keep going.
Slow down.
What do you hear?
Cattle in the fields or battle in your deals?
Move.

Keep rolling.
Lessen the possessions. Let go.
Stop. Reverse.
...to where people are sitting together, wherever
Watch them converse.
Laughing, joking, living. Keep driving.

Is the most beautiful thing the earth? River and trees?
Ok now, we are getting somewhere… Jeez!

Ask for directions. Not because you need directions.
Just look at faces and a trace of humanity surfaces.

Talk. Wait till that battery drains. Put it away.
Talk a little more, with someone.

Lie down on the grass, rock or sand.
Think of nothing but the moment at hand.

The sky should tell you what you missed. You should be pissed.
Stare at the stars, think of Mars. Not the scars, but moments of ours.

Pink sky. Up there.

Pink sky

Pink sky. Does it exist?
Do get out more, put it on your list.

Hit the highway. Stop. Look up at the big blue.
No, it is not violet enough. Keep going.
Slow down.
What do you hear?
Cattle in the fields or battle in your deals?
Move.

Keep rolling.
Lessen the possessions. Let go.
Stop. Reverse.
...to where people are sitting together, wherever
Watch them converse.
Laughing, joking, living. Keep driving.

Is the most beautiful thing the earth? River and trees?
Ok now, we are getting somewhere… Jeez!

Ask for directions. Not because you need directions.
Just look at faces and a trace of humanity surfaces.

Talk. Wait till that battery drains. Put it away.
Talk a little more, with someone.

Lie down on the grass, rock or sand.
Think of nothing but the moment at hand.

The sky should tell you what you missed. You should be pissed.
Stare at the stars, think of Mars. Not the scars, but moments of ours.

Pink sky. Up there.

Strong processes, better people

Its been 4 years since I completed a course in Lean Six Sigma with Benchmark. Apart from the course-ware, things we discussed in the class back then still hold strong. 
We discussed the importance of setting up strong processes in particular; that enable success paths for companies. The stronger the process, the less we depend on particular talented individuals.

Our faculty Mr Vishwadeep Khatri gave an example of China at the Olympics. China wins most medals, yet we do not hear of a particular superstar; like Micheal Phelps from US or Usain Bolt from Jamaica. That's because China's selection process enables more people to achieve their potential, thereby removing the dependence on a few talented individuals. This way, China wins over a period of many years and not just at a particular event or because of special talent.

The stronger the processes, the less we depend on individuals who may leave the company and bring the house down with them. So if you are a talented individual, then make others in your team as able as you are and let them go beyond. Create the culture wherein anyone can achieve more.

Very proud to be with Benchmark. Here's my spot there- http://students.benchmarksixsigma.com/competitve-edge/

Strong processes, better people

Its been 4 years since I completed a course in Lean Six Sigma with Benchmark. Apart from the course-ware, things we discussed in the class back then still hold strong. 
We discussed the importance of setting up strong processes in particular; that enable success paths for companies. The stronger the process, the less we depend on particular talented individuals.

Our faculty Mr Vishwadeep Khatri gave an example of China at the Olympics. China wins most medals, yet we do not hear of a particular superstar; like Micheal Phelps from US or Usain Bolt from Jamaica. That's because China's selection process enables more people to achieve their potential, thereby removing the dependence on a few talented individuals. This way, China wins over a period of many years and not just at a particular event or because of special talent.

The stronger the processes, the less we depend on individuals who may leave the company and bring the house down with them. So if you are a talented individual, then make others in your team as able as you are and let them go beyond. Create the culture wherein anyone can achieve more.

Very proud to be with Benchmark. Here's my spot there- http://students.benchmarksixsigma.com/competitve-edge/

Trust digital!

We don't want to let go of printing. It is still perceived as more convincing, tangible and still real - more real than a digital message. We still find printing reassuring despite our lives so enmeshed with net-banking, online shopping and living online with our friends and family.

We still want to courier or personally hand out the special invite to our recipients. We want our returns on investment on that matt feel of the special paper we sourced with much effort, and the attention we gave to details on the envelope and finishing. The magnetic catch on the cover has to close with a classic soft click. When the client opens our brochure, the silk varnish must shine in the light with our branded message.

What really happened? The courier never reached the recipient and the material is returned to sender... poof! There goes all that effort and bubble around the reaction and response we dreamt of. We end up with a stack of returned invites and brochures. Why did the prized printed message not reach the recipient? Was he traveling? Maybe they shifted office. Or they received it, but just dropped it in a drawer to be handled later.

What is that recipient doing right now? He is looking into a smartphone- toying around with either an app, an email or a responsive website which is interactive, intuitive and simply, instant.

So why does it take so long for us to accept the fact that creating apps and responsive websites is not worth the money? Why do we rather print so much; knowing well that there will be significant wastage and lost response? The app lasts longer on our phones and memories than the printed material does in our offices. On the app we can run a search, go directly to sections by clicking on tabs instead of flipping around pages, respond quickly and select options, fill in fields where comments are required, and forward to others. Printed material does not facilitate easy responding. Filling in forms need paper and pen to be carried around. Filling a form in an app or website is easier.

We know these things. So come on. Let’s change the way we look at printing- anything. Let’s create interactive material. We can print though, if really necessary. Apps can be created for events to clients, potential entrepreneurs can nominate themselves at ease on their brand new phones. Awards nights can be relayed live, interview telecast timings can be sent as notifications. Users can respond to event management teams. Twitter handles can be connected. Partners and directors can flash latest company or government policies, notify on latest thought leaderships posted on the website. 2-minute YouTube videos of leadership can reach out better than emails.

Way more awaits. Let's do this.

Trust digital!

We don't want to let go of printing. It is still perceived as more convincing, tangible and still real - more real than a digital message. We still find printing reassuring despite our lives so enmeshed with net-banking, online shopping and living online with our friends and family.

We still want to courier or personally hand out the special invite to our recipients. We want our returns on investment on that matt feel of the special paper we sourced with much effort, and the attention we gave to details on the envelope and finishing. The magnetic catch on the cover has to close with a classic soft click. When the client opens our brochure, the silk varnish must shine in the light with our branded message.

What really happened? The courier never reached the recipient and the material is returned to sender... poof! There goes all that effort and bubble around the reaction and response we dreamt of. We end up with a stack of returned invites and brochures. Why did the prized printed message not reach the recipient? Was he traveling? Maybe they shifted office. Or they received it, but just dropped it in a drawer to be handled later.

What is that recipient doing right now? He is looking into a smartphone- toying around with either an app, an email or a responsive website which is interactive, intuitive and simply, instant.

So why does it take so long for us to accept the fact that creating apps and responsive websites is not worth the money? Why do we rather print so much; knowing well that there will be significant wastage and lost response? The app lasts longer on our phones and memories than the printed material does in our offices. On the app we can run a search, go directly to sections by clicking on tabs instead of flipping around pages, respond quickly and select options, fill in fields where comments are required, and forward to others. Printed material does not facilitate easy responding. Filling in forms need paper and pen to be carried around. Filling a form in an app or website is easier.

We know these things. So come on. Let’s change the way we look at printing- anything. Let’s create interactive material. We can print though, if really necessary. Apps can be created for events to clients, potential entrepreneurs can nominate themselves at ease on their brand new phones. Awards nights can be relayed live, interview telecast timings can be sent as notifications. Users can respond to event management teams. Twitter handles can be connected. Partners and directors can flash latest company or government policies, notify on latest thought leaderships posted on the website. 2-minute YouTube videos of leadership can reach out better than emails.

Way more awaits. Let's do this.

Stoned radio

There was this surreal experience, experienced on a sultry Saturday noon, when I was driving back home and had to speak with my wife. I had the radio on all that time. And radio, goes without saying, is more about ads and talkative RJs than music. Coming back to my call with my wife, I decided to use the car speakers for the audio and hooked up my phone via the car USB. I randomly pressed the USB/AUX button thinking the car speaker would amplify the call- which did not work. After the phone call was over, the car goes back to the songs. Now here’s what happened- the car stereo connected with my phone songs and started playing them, without firing up the iTunes app on the phone. Not realizing what happened, I was listening to songs belting off my phone thinking the radio was playing it. Oh man, o man… what a dreamlike moment that was. Here I am wondering what an awesome day it was with radio doing an about-turn with no ads or RJ nonsense, and my kind of music playing for the world to listen to. Steve Winwood, The Beatles, Train… What station was this? That’s when I looked at the display which read… ‘iPod’... and poof! Of course dammit.. what was I   t h i n k i n g ? !

A few minutes later I spotted something really surreal and had to get photos of this- colourful stones on sale, all the way from Gujarat! Here’s what the assortment looked like.

Stoned radio

There was this surreal experience, experienced on a sultry Saturday noon, when I was driving back home and had to speak with my wife. I had the radio on all that time. And radio, goes without saying, is more about ads and talkative RJs than music. Coming back to my call with my wife, I decided to use the car speakers for the audio and hooked up my phone via the car USB. I randomly pressed the USB/AUX button thinking the car speaker would amplify the call- which did not work. After the phone call was over, the car goes back to the songs. Now here’s what happened- the car stereo connected with my phone songs and started playing them, without firing up the iTunes app on the phone. Not realizing what happened, I was listening to songs belting off my phone thinking the radio was playing it. Oh man, o man… what a dreamlike moment that was. Here I am wondering what an awesome day it was with radio doing an about-turn with no ads or RJ nonsense, and my kind of music playing for the world to listen to. Steve Winwood, The Beatles, Train… What station was this? That’s when I looked at the display which read… ‘iPod’... and poof! Of course dammit.. what was I   t h i n k i n g ? !

A few minutes later I spotted something really surreal and had to get photos of this- colourful stones on sale, all the way from Gujarat! Here’s what the assortment looked like.

Dream audaciously

Stayed up late watching the World cup match between Columbia and Greece which went 3-0 the South American way.  Separately, will always love this piece by Robin Van Persi-

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/BY3FlBCPtfA&source=uds

Also kept doodling.

Also had VH1 running later and this was the playlist for the night.

John Legend - All of me
You and I - One Direction
Jack White - Lazaretto
Cold play - Magic
Calvin Harris - Summer
Linkin Park - Until its gone
Banks - Goddess

So that's how I am spending Saturday night.

Dream audaciously

Stayed up late watching the World cup match between Columbia and Greece which went 3-0 the South American way.  Separately, will always love this piece by Robin Van Persi-

Also kept doodling.

Also had VH1 running later and this was the playlist for the night.

John Legend - All of me
You and I - One Direction
Jack White - Lazaretto
Cold play - Magic
Calvin Harris - Summer
Linkin Park - Until its gone
Banks - Goddess

So that's how I am spending Saturday night.

Machine-aargh

Tapping this down from a sense of exhasperation that dawns on me when devices and networks don't work.

So there's a way they work, which is what we expect them to do. It's when they don't function despite no power cuts, software bugs or human intervention that sets you back a bit in limbo. That, if you can get a pulse on, is what makes the difference between really understanding inanimate things and flinging your phone across space time and wifi zones. If you can imagine that device as a living creature with needs, functions, care and maintenance, the gap between the machine and your patience threshold reduces. 

We may spend less on new gadgets and actually make the most of resources simple because we understand what more to do with them. Just a thought.

Machine-aargh

Tapping this down from a sense of exhasperation that dawns on me when devices and networks don't work.

So there's a way they work, which is what we expect them to do. It's when they don't function despite no power cuts, software bugs or human intervention that sets you back a bit in limbo. That, if you can get a pulse on, is what makes the difference between really understanding inanimate things and flinging your phone across space time and wifi zones. If you can imagine that device as a living creature with needs, functions, care and maintenance, the gap between the machine and your patience threshold reduces. 

We may spend less on new gadgets and actually make the most of resources simple because we understand what more to do with them. Just a thought.

Puppy politics is easy business

The general elections currently underway have split friends and relatives in factions. This got me thinking about things I don't usually bother much with. Are we are currently in love with an image? If euphoria can still sway this country, how far have we come from 1991?
Of all the geopolitical elements that go into making decisions, keeping all biases aside, we could discuss three things before we vote for a leader- ease of doing business in India, euphoria in marketing a product, and finally, the janlokpal bill.
Firstly, ease of doing business. India lags behind African countries on the ease of doing business index - http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/india
If one looks at the main factors that pulls us down on this index, it boils down to getting approvals in starting a business, getting construction permits and electricity. Corrupt government officials are the gargoyles that guard this gateway. Multinational corporations keep aside bribe provisions as part of incorporation expenses. So corruption is undoubtedly the Achilles heel for the entrepreneurial spirit of India.
Euphoria in marketing- if a product has an emotional appeal attached to it, the product will sell on its own. It helps hide crucial faults or intentions because the visual alone helps win half the battle. We have seen this in the Hutch (now Vodafone) ads in which the adorable pug boosted the brand value. Those ads sold pugs for Rs.50,000 a pup.
Janlokpal bill - that elephant in the room everyone wished wouldn't look at them. The first line in the agenda could be the only reason any politician would make sure it does not come in force. 'If a politician or government official is found guilty of corruption, he will lose his job, go to jail and his property would be confiscated- without government permission.' Ouch. Now that hurts the very purpose of getting into politics.
Its difficult to get a majority on anything nowadays. So go ahead and disagree, without a bias against a coughing candidate. C'mon... Now that's petty.

Puppy politics is easy business

The general elections currently underway have split friends and relatives in factions. This got me thinking about things I don't usually bother much with. Are we are currently in love with an image? If euphoria can still sway this country, how far have we come from 1991?
Of all the geopolitical elements that go into making decisions, keeping all biases aside, we could discuss three things before we vote for a leader- ease of doing business in India, euphoria in marketing a product, and finally, the janlokpal bill.
Firstly, ease of doing business. India lags behind African countries on the ease of doing business index - http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/india
If one looks at the main factors that pulls us down on this index, it boils down to getting approvals in starting a business, getting construction permits and electricity. Corrupt government officials are the gargoyles that guard this gateway. Multinational corporations keep aside bribe provisions as part of incorporation expenses. So corruption is undoubtedly the Achilles heel for the entrepreneurial spirit of India.
Euphoria in marketing- if a product has an emotional appeal attached to it, the product will sell on its own. It helps hide crucial faults or intentions because the visual alone helps win half the battle. We have seen this in the Hutch (now Vodafone) ads in which the adorable pug boosted the brand value. Those ads sold pugs for Rs.50,000 a pup.
Janlokpal bill - that elephant in the room everyone wished wouldn't look at them. The first line in the agenda could be the only reason any politician would make sure it does not come in force. 'If a politician or government official is found guilty of corruption, he will lose his job, go to jail and his property would be confiscated- without government permission.' Ouch. Now that hurts the very purpose of getting into politics.
Its difficult to get a majority on anything nowadays. So go ahead and disagree, without a bias against a coughing candidate. C'mon... Now that's petty.

A man and a car

a man is a car
intake-
wined dined and drunk
fired up and smoked out
spark-
hold. retain.
together now, alone.
my head spins, not talking now,
I'm blanked out, something turns you on
kiss. sparks off a light that kicks the life into me
hard kiss, gets the pistons all fired up

exhaust-
verbiose, about how I feel
with all the ability of speech in me
out it comes, like a poet I never was
a piano that never had the keys
a bird that never knew it could sing

A man and a car

a man is a car
intake-
wined dined and drunk
fired up and smoked out
spark-
hold. retain.
together now, alone.
my head spins, not talking now,
I'm blanked out, something turns you on
kiss. sparks off a light that kicks the life into me
hard kiss, gets the pistons all fired up

exhaust-
verbiose, about how I feel
with all the ability of speech in me
out it comes, like a poet I never was
a piano that never had the keys
a bird that never knew it could sing

Naggar 2014

My annual leave had to be spent doing nothing, so Naggar it was during the off-season. This is my third trip to this secluded village- 20 km from Manali on the other side of the Beas river. We took the Volvo bus from Himachal Bhawan in Delhi which started at 6 pm and we reached Manali at 7:30 am the next day. The other alternative was to drive down in our own car that but that meant spending the day behind the wheel. The bus ride that took all night saves a day; not to mention the beating your car would take on these mountain roads. One barely feels the pot holes and the road conditions in the Volvo buses. Nearing Manali, We missed our stop at Patlikuhal before the bridge so we went all the way to Manali and took a cab to Naggar (Rs 550).
The sleepy town was awaiting its tourists after Holi, so it was nice and peaceful when we reached. We stayed at a government-run place called 'The Palace', which was originally built in 1460 and was renovated and converted into a hotel.

We booked the best room on the property called 'Fozal Peak Suite'- which sounded like a corruption of 'Frozen' peak. Nevermind... the view from our balcony was lovely and it was a bright sunny day. It was cold though and the water from the taps was finger-numbing cold.

We walked down to a restaurant called 'The Nightingale' which has been around for atleast 11 years since I visited the first time. Though renovated and more modern looking now, the food was still good and expensive. A pizza and a pasta with locally made fruit juices cost us Rs. 850.

On day two we walked around a little more towards Nicholas Roerich's home and museum which was uphill. Though the ground floor was closed, we walked around the house and to the first floor. The inside of his home was like a time box, frozen in with furniture and artefacts of that time.

After all this walking we needed to eat. We had heard so much about the local trout fish that we decided to give it a shot. Its interesting how its served here- entirely with the head and tail, with vegetables!

On Sunday, the locals were playing Holi here. As we went about exploring the hillside, we spotted the local villagers meeting at a temple. The celebration got us interested and we decided to join them.

One thing that we noticed instantly was the decency with which they played Holi, compared to the way city folks play.
The hotel had a great view of the village and valley below. This was a great opportunity to study bird flight. Since Art school days, bird flight and crows have been interesting subjects.

Just in case this looks easy, it took over 300 clicks to get these right. Getting clear photos of the crows in flight meant, zooming in and following, focusing and clicking. The work paid off.

Finally on the day we were checking out, the weather changed for the worse. It rained the night before and everything around was freezing up. Here's the before/after of the weather in Naggar-

It was a great trip at the end of it all. Naggar stays on top of my fave spots in the world.

Naggar 2014

My annual leave had to be spent doing nothing, so Naggar it was during the off-season. This is my third trip to this secluded village- 20 km from Manali on the other side of the Beas river. We took the Volvo bus from Himachal Bhawan in Delhi which started at 6 pm and we reached Manali at 7:30 am the next day. The other alternative was to drive down in our own car that but that meant spending the day behind the wheel. The bus ride that took all night saves a day; not to mention the beating your car would take on these mountain roads. One barely feels the pot holes and the road conditions in the Volvo buses. Nearing Manali, We missed our stop at Patlikuhal before the bridge so we went all the way to Manali and took a cab to Naggar (Rs 550).
The sleepy town was awaiting its tourists after Holi, so it was nice and peaceful when we reached. We stayed at a government-run place called 'The Palace', which was originally built in 1460 and was renovated and converted into a hotel.

We booked the best room on the property called 'Fozal Peak Suite'- which sounded like a corruption of 'Frozen' peak. Nevermind... the view from our balcony was lovely and it was a bright sunny day. It was cold though and the water from the taps was finger-numbing cold.

We walked down to a restaurant called 'The Nightingale' which has been around for atleast 11 years since I visited the first time. Though renovated and more modern looking now, the food was still good and expensive. A pizza and a pasta with locally made fruit juices cost us Rs. 850.

On day two we walked around a little more towards Nicholas Roerich's home and museum which was uphill. Though the ground floor was closed, we walked around the house and to the first floor. The inside of his home was like a time box, frozen in with furniture and artefacts of that time.

After all this walking we needed to eat. We had heard so much about the local trout fish that we decided to give it a shot. Its interesting how its served here- entirely with the head and tail, with vegetables!

On Sunday, the locals were playing Holi here. As we went about exploring the hillside, we spotted the local villagers meeting at a temple. The celebration got us interested and we decided to join them.

One thing that we noticed instantly was the decency with which they played Holi, compared to the way city folks play.
The hotel had a great view of the village and valley below. This was a great opportunity to study bird flight. Since Art school days, bird flight and crows have been interesting subjects.

Just in case this looks easy, it took over 300 clicks to get these right. Getting clear photos of the crows in flight meant, zooming in and following, focusing and clicking. The work paid off.

Finally on the day we were checking out, the weather changed for the worse. It rained the night before and everything around was freezing up. Here's the before/after of the weather in Naggar-

It was a great trip at the end of it all. Naggar stays on top of my fave spots in the world.