Monday, June 30, 2008

WRITER'S BLOCK.....NAAAAAH!!!!





writer's block...........nopes just motivation block........now this is a much worse state of limbo...........its like you are stuck in a nice slushy swamp which is just calf high........and you are so comfortable in that squelchy goooo.....thats you just feel like lying there and not do anything about it...........i've always fantasized about those mud baths of natural multaani mitti they give u in kerela ....with ur whole body dipped in that smooth mud........all slippery and slidy...........

maybe this is like that.I am stuck in a squelchy slippery writer's motivation block.........not the lack of topics...........but the lack of motivation to write about them........

i guess i need you to jog me out of it..........lets see who is willing :D

probably someone who reads my blog regulary(and thats so few people.....ssshhhhhhh........dont tell that anyone or they will think that i am unpopular).

well waiting

waiting for someone to kick me out of this involuntary state of lethargy...

Sunday, June 22, 2008

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE( a sneak peek)...a must read to understand and appreciate the beauty of Kanpur's All Soul's Memorial Chruch made in gothic style

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture.
Originating in 12th-century France and lasting into the 16th century, Gothic architecture was known during the period as "the French Style" (Opus Francigenum), with the term Gothic first appearing during the latter part of the Renaissance as a stylistic insult. Its characteristic features include the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress.



Gothic architecture is most familiar as the architecture of many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and parish churches of Europe. It is also the architecture of many castles, palaces, town halls, guild halls, universities, and to a less prominent extent, private dwellings.
It is in the great churches and cathedrals and in a number of civic buildings that the Gothic style was expressed most powerfully, its characteristics lending themselves to appeal to the emotions. A great number of ecclesiastical buildings remain from this period, of which even the smallest are often structures of architectural distinction while many of the larger churches are considered priceless works of art and are listed with UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. For this reason a study of Gothic architecture is largely a study of cathedrals and churches.
A series of Gothic revivals began in mid-18th century England, spread through 19th-century Europe and continued, largely for ecclesiastical and university structures, into the 20th century.


pointed arch, the ribbed vault, the ambulatory with radiating chapels


The structure of a typical Gothic cathedral



In Gothic architecture, a unique combination of existing technologies established the emergence of a new building style. Those technologies were the ogival or pointed arch, the ribbed vault, and the flying buttress
The Gothic style, when applied to an ecclesiastical building, emphasizes verticality and light. This appearance was achieved by the development of certain architectural features, which together provided an engineerical solution. The structural parts of the building ceased to be its solid walls, and became a stone skeleton comprised of clustered columns, pointed ribbed vaults and flying buttresses.



A Gothic cathedral or abbey was, prior to the 20th century, generally the landmark building in its town, rising high above all the domestic structures and often surmounted by one or more towers and pinnacles and perhaps tall spires.


Plan









Most Gothic churches, unless they are entitled chapels, are of the Latin cross (or "cruciform") plan, with a long nave making the body of the church, a transverse arm called the transept and beyond it, an extension which may be called the choir, chancel or presbytery. There are several regional variations on this plan.
The nave is generally flanked on either side by aisles, usually singly, but sometimes double. The nave is generally considerably taller than the aisles, having clerestorey windows which light the central space.
.
The eastern arm shows considerable diversity. In England it is generally long and may have two distinct sections, both choir and presbytery. It is often square ended or has a projecting Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Structure: the pointed arch

Origins

The defining characteristic of Gothic architecture is the pointed or ogival arch. Arches of this type were used in Islamic architecture before they were used structurally in European architecture, and are thought to have been the inspiration for their use in France, as at Autun Cathedral, which is otherwise stylistically Romanesque.
However, it appears that there was probably simultaneously a structural evolution towards the pointed arch, for the purpose of vaulting spaces of irregular plan, or to bring transverse vaults to the same height as diagonal vaults. This latter occurs at Durham Cathedral in the nave aisles in 1093. Pointed arches also occur extensively in Romanesque decorative blind arcading, where semi-circular arches overlap each other in a simple decorative pattern, and the points are accidental to the design.


Functions

The Gothic vault, unlike the semi-circular vault of Roman and Romanesque buildings, can be used to roof rectangular and irregularly shaped plans such as trapezoids. The other structural advantage is that the pointed arch channels the weight onto the bearing piers or columns at a steep angle. This enabled architects to raise vaults much higher than was possible in Romanesque architecture.
While, structurally, use of the pointed arch gave a greater flexibility to architectural form, it also gave Gothic architecture a very different visual character to Romanesque, the verticality suggesting an aspiration to Heaven.
In Gothic Architecture the pointed arch is used in every location where a vaulted shape is called for, both structural and decorative. Gothic openings such as doorways, windows, arcades and galleries have pointed arches. Gothic vaulting above spaces both large and small is usually supported by richly molded ribs.
Rows of pointed arches upon delicate shafts form a typical wall decoration known as blind arcading. Niches with pointed arches and containing statuary are a major external feature. The pointed arch lent itself to elaborate intersecting shapes which developed within window spaces into complex Gothic tracery forming the structural support of the large windows that are characteristic of the style.



Height



A characteristic of Gothic church architecture is its height, both real and proportional. A section of the main body of a Gothic church usually shows the nave as considerably taller than it is wide. In England the proportion is sometimes greater than 2:1, while the extreme is reached at Cologne Cathedral with a ratio of 3.6:1. The extreme of actual internal height was achieved at Beauvais Cathedral at 157' 6" (48 m).
Externally, towers and spires are characteristic of Gothic churches both great and small, the number and positioning being one of the greatest variables in Gothic architecture. In Italy, the tower, if present, is almost always detached from the building, as at Florence Cathedral, and is often from an earlier structure. In France and Spain, two towers on the front is the norm. In England, Germany and Scandinavia this is often the arrangement, but an English cathedral may also be surmounted by an enormous tower at the crossing. Smaller churches usually have just one tower, but this may also be the case at larger buildings, such as Salisbury cathedral or Ulm Minster, which has the tallest spire in the world,] slightly exceeding that of Lincoln Cathedral, the tallest which was actually completed during the medieval period, at 527 feet (160 m).



Vertical emphasis

The pointed arch lends itself to a suggestion of height. This appearance is characteristically further enhanced by both the architectural features and the decoration of the building.
On the exterior, the verticality is emphasised in a major way by the towers and spires and in a lesser way by strongly projecting vertical buttresses, by narrow half-columns called attached shafts which often pass through several storeys of the building, by long narrow windows, vertical mouldings around doors and figurative sculpture which emphasises the vertical and is often attenuated. The roofline, gable ends, buttresses and other parts of the building are often terminated by small pinnacles, Milan Cathedral being an extreme example in the use of this form of decoration.
On the interior of the building attached shafts often sweep unbroken from floor to ceiling and meet the ribs of the vault, like a tall tree spreading into branches. The verticals are generally repeated in the treatment of the windows and wall surfaces.




Light

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Gothic architecture is the expansive area of the windows as at Sainte Chapelle and the very large size of many individual windows, as at Gloucester Cathedral and Milan Cathedral. The increase in size between windows of the Romanesque and Gothic periods is related to the use of the ribbed vault, and in particular, the pointed ribbed vault which channeled the weight to a supporting shaft with less outward thrust than a semicircular vault. Walls did not need to be so weighty.
A further development was the flying buttress which arched externally from the springing of the vault across the roof of the aisle to a large buttress pier projecting well beyond the line of the external wall. These piers were often surmounted by a pinnacle or statue, further adding to the downward weight, and counteracting the outward thrust of the vault and buttress arch.
The internal columns of the arcade with their attached shafts, the ribs of the vault and the flying buttresses, with their associated vertical buttresses jutting at right-angles to the building, created a stone skeleton. Between these parts, the walls and the infill of the vaults could be of lighter construction. Between the narrow buttresses, the walls could be opened up into large windows.
Through the Gothic period, due to the versatility of the pointed arch, the structure of Gothic windows developed from simple openings to immensely rich and decorative sculptural designs. The windows were very often filled with stained glass which added a dimension of colour to the light within the building, as well as providing a medium for figurative and narrative art.




Majesty


The facade of a large church or cathedral, often referred to as the West Front, is generally designed to create a powerful impression on the approaching worshipper, demonstrating both the might of God, and the might of the institution that it represents. One of the best known and most typical of such facades is that of Notre Dame de Paris.
Central to the facade is the main portal, often flanked by additional doors. In the arch of the door, the tympanum, is often a significant piece of sculpture, most frequently Christ in Majesty and Judgment Day. If there is a central door jamb or a tremeu, then it frequently bears a statue of the Madonna and Child. There may be much other carving, often of figures in niches set into the mouldings around the portals, or in sculptural screens extending across the facade.
In the centre of the middle level of the facade, there is a large window, which in countries other than England and Belgium, is generally a rose window like that at Reims Cathedral. The gable above this is usually richly decorated with arcading or sculpture, or in the case of Italy, may be decorated, with the rest of the facade, with polychrome marble and mosaic, as at Orvieto Cathedral


Basic shapes of Gothic arches and stylistic character

The way in which the pointed arch was drafted and utilised developed throughout the Gothic period. There were fairly clear stages of development, which did not, however, progress at the same rate, or in the same way in every country. Moreover, the names used to define various periods or styles within the Gothic differs from country to country.


Lancet arch




The simplest shape is the long opening with a pointed arch known in England as the lancet. Lancet openings are often grouped, usually as a cluster of three or five. Lancet openings may be very narrow and steeply pointed.



Equilateral arch



Many Gothic openings are based upon the equilateral form. In other words, when the arch is drafted, the radius is exactly the width of the opening and the centre of each arch coincides with the point from which the opposite arch springs. This makes the arch higher in relation to its width than a semi-circular arch which is exactly half as high as it is wide.
The Equilateral Arch gives a wide opening of satisfying proportion useful for doorways, decorative arcades and big windows.
The Equilateral Arch lends itself to filling with tracery of simple equilateral, circular and semi-circular forms. The type of tracery that evolved to fill these spaces is known in England as Geometric Decorated Gothic and can be seen to splendid effect at many English and French Cathedrals, notably Lincoln and Notre Dame in Paris. Windows of complex design and of three or more lights or vertical sections, are often designed by overlapping two or more equilateral arches.


Flamboyant arch



The Flamboyant Arch is one that is drafted from four points, the upper part of each main arc turning upwards into a smaller arc and meeting at a sharp, flame-like point. These arches create a rich and lively effect when used for window tracery and surface decoration. The form is structurally weak and has very rarely been used for large openings except when contained within a larger and more stable arch. It is not employed at all for vaulting.
Doorways surmounted by Flamboyant mouldings are very common in both ecclesiastical and domestic architecture in France. They are much rarer in England.


Depressed arch




The Depressed or four-centred arch is much wider than its height and gives the visual effect of having been flattened under pressure. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius and then turn into two arches with a wide radius and much lower springing point.
This type of arch, when employed as a window opening, lends itself to very wide spaces, provided it is adequately supported by many narrow vertical shafts. These are often further braced by horizontal transoms. The overall effect produces a grid-like appearance of regular, delicate, rectangular forms with an emphasis on the perpendicular. It is also employed as a wall decoration in which arcade and window openings form part of the whole decorative surface.
The style, known as Perpendicular, that evolved from this treatment is specific to England, although very similar to contemporary Spanish style in particular, and was employed to great effect through the 15th century and first half of the 16th as Renaissance styles were much slower to arrive in England than in Italy and France.

Symbolism and ornamentation



The Gothic cathedral represented the universe in microcosm and each architectural concept, including the loftiness and huge dimensions of the structure, were intended to convey a theological message: the great glory of God. The building becomes a microcosm in two ways. Firstly, the mathematical and geometrical nature of the construction is an image of the orderly universe, in which an underlying rationality and logic can be perceived.
Secondly, the statues, sculptural decoration, stained glass and murals incorporate the essence of creation in depictions of the Labours of the Months and the Zodiac and sacred history from the Old and New Testaments and Lives of the Saints, as well as reference to the eternal in the Last Judgment and Coronation of the Virgin.




The decorative schemes usually incorporated Biblical stories, emphasizing visual typological allegories between Old Testament prophecy and the New Testament.
Many churches were very richly decorated, both inside and out. Sculpture and architectural details were often bright with coloured paint of which traces remain at the Cathedral of Chartres. Wooden ceilings and panelling were usually brightly coloured. Sometimes the stone columns of the nave were painted, and the panels in decorative wall arcading contained narratives or figures of saints. These have rarely remained intact, but may be seen at the Chapterhouse of Westminster Abbey.
Some important Gothic churches could be severely simple such as the Basilica of Mary Magdalene in Saint-Maximin, Provence where the local traditions of the sober, massive, Romanesque architecture were still strong.


GLOSSARY



ambulatory - circular aisle which wraps around the apse.


apse - (Lat. apsis, an arch) The semicircular or polygonal termination to the choir or aisles of a church. See cathedral and diagram.

arch - the pointed arch is widely regarded as the main identifiable feature of Gothic architecture (distinct from the round arch of the Romanesque period). The most common Gothic arches are the Lancet, Equilateral and Ogee.

boss - highly decorated carving found in ceilings, used to conceal the breaks in vault work.

buttress - a mass of stone built up to support a wall, usually necessary to strengthen those of great height.flying buttress - a buttress arched over at the top to engage with a main wall. A principal feature of Gothic architecture, lending strength and solidity to the main structure.


fan tracery vaulting - a system of ceiling vaulting with all ribs having the same curve, resembling the folds of a fan.

clerestory - 'clear story,' the upper story of a church where it rises above the aisle roof. Window openings, usually of stained glass, allow extra light into the interior.

cloister (Lat. claustrum) - an inner courtyard or central square closed by the four sides of a monastery sometimes situated on the south side of a cathedral. The walkway, or ambulatory, is usually protected by a roof supported by columns.


cinquefoil - in tracery, having five pendants in a circular ring; usually applied to windows and panels.

chancel - part of the altar for the clergy or choir, bordered by railings.

chapels - the recesses on the sides of aisles in cathedrals and abbey churches. Sometimes known as chantries.

Chapter House - administrative center of a cathedral, traditionally organized for overseeing construction.

choir - the area of the main altar where services are sung, located between the crossing and the apse.


choir screen - decorated screen of wood or stone separating the choir from the rest of the cathedral

cathedral - (cathedra, seat or throne) the principal church of a province or diocese, where the throne of the bishop is placed. For reasons lost to time and tradition, a cathedral always faces west - toward the setting sun. The altar is placed at the east end. The main body, or nave, of the cathedral is usually divided into one main and two side aisles. These lead up to the north and south transepts, or arms of the cross, the shape in which a cathedral is usually set out



mullions - stone piers dividing a window into two or more lights.



nave (Lt. a ship) - the main body of a church or cathedral. Sometimes defined as the central aisle only.

newel - the supporting upright pillar around which winding steps, or winders, are supported; typically found in cathedral and castle architecture of the Middle Ages.


niche (Fr. a nest) - a recess in a wall for the reception of a statue.


oculus - a small circular or eye-shaped window

porch - a projecting, enclosed doorway, usually a side entrance located at the north and south transepts of a cathedral.

tracery - ornamental stonework most often seen supporting window glass in the form of trifoils and cinquefoils. Sometimes used merely as decoration on panels and moldings and then called 'blind' tracery

transept - in cathedral architecture, the north and south projections or "arms" of the cross. See porch, cathedral.


vault - an arched ceiling.
rose window.



Saturday, June 21, 2008

ONE OF THE HISTORICAL OFFERINGS OF KANPUR




Kanpur Memorial Church, popularly known as All Soul's Cathedral is an impressive architectural edifice that was constructed in 1875 to commemorate the courage and valor of the British troops who surrendered their lives in the tumultuous Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.



Walter Granville, an erstwhile architect of East Bengal Railway, was responsible for the exquisite Lombardy Gothic architecture of the church. The building is made up of vibrant red sandstone bricks adorned in multi-colored hues.



The interior of the church houses the heartbreaking memorial tables, epitaphs and monuments that pay a tribute to those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country. They also narrate the shattered hopes and dreams of the young whose life ended even before it had properly taken off.the alter has miniature gothic columns interspaced with marble slabs engraved with the names of all those who died during the sepoy mutiny.




The Kanpur Memorial Church recounts the unfortunate massacre of the Kanpur Barracks and the betrayal of patriotic Nana Sahib, nicknamed " The Butcher of Cawnpore". A separate enclosure in the eastern extremity of the church contains the memorial garden and separated from the main building by an exquisitely carved and striking in appearance Gothic screen.



At the center of the church stands a beautiful figurine of an angel, designed by the eminent Baron Carlo Marochetti.
Also a striking feature commmon to the gothic architecture period is the Rose.



Post -independence statue and the screen have been relocated here from Kanpur’s famous Municipal Gardens near the Bibighar well. Some of the ancient graves are intriguing with interesting inscriptions.

The British under Commander Hugh Wheeler retreated into a shallow earth entrenchment in the cantonment area, later known in history as `wheeler’s entrenchment’. The English garrison surrendered in the last week of June 1857 on terms of safe passage to Allahabad. But when on the morning of 27th June, the soldiers along with the women and children were about to embark into the boats at Sati Chaura Ghat, fighting broke out and most of the men were killed. The survivors, women and children were rescued who were imprisoned into the Savada Kothi and later shifted to Bibighar in the `cantonment magistrates’ compound. But when it became clear the relieving forces under General Havelock were nearing the city and defeat was inevitable, the captives-all women and children, were massacred and their dismembered bodies buried in the well of the compound on 15th July 1857.




The Bibighar was dismantled by the British and reoccupation of Kanpur and a `memorial railing and a cross’ raised at the site of the well. The well is now bricked over. Only remains of a circular ridge survive, which can be still seen at the Nana Rao Park.



The Kanpur Memorial Church – `The all soul cathedral’ was raised in honor of the fallen at the north-east corner of Wheeler’s entrenchment in 1862 by the British.



The marble gothic screen with famous `mournful seraph’ was transferred to the churchyard of All Souls church after independence in 1947, and in its place a bust of Tantiya Tope installed as Nana Rao Park.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

SWEET REMEMBRANCE




Last night I stayed up and watched City of Angels after a long time. It was one of those movies I saw for the first time and felt an instant bonding with. One of those movies you just see for the first time and go and buy an original CD promptly. I don’t love that movie because of the romance…… it’s the realism in it that attracts me…the honesty and beauty of Love. Love at its purest form. We have always given form to love and felt that love can never be felt if there isn’t a form to support it…….that’s what Maggie felt because of her human form…but Seth did love even before he became human…

He gave it all up…free will…he said. And for what….just because Maggie wanted to feel. its not that one cannot feel love without form…we aren’t evolved enough to accept a love without form. This doesn’t mean that there doesn’t exist a love…like that. instant recognition isn’t just a chemical reaction that one would call…attraction…it goes beyond that…a familiarity and a recognition…a feeling of being there….of having known that person…or maybe that life…and soul.

I’ve always loved this explanation best. Otherwise how would you explain totally rational human beings falling in love with people who are a total antithesis of what they thought would be perfect for them… some incredibly beautiful person marrying and loving genuinely someone who isn’t beautiful. at times such as these we marvel at love calling it blind …if we dig a little deeper we will see its not love that is blind…its that we have become all seeing in that instant.

Like Seth I completely understand what it means to just have that recognition…just once. To be there n see just maybe once. Feel maybe once…that powerful soul defining emotion. I call it an emotion because our language isn’t equipped enough for defining something so surreal. I don’t know…why I feel so. Maybe this was the instant recognition I got from the movie. a slight jolt to my soul that I have been there…before. in that cataclysmic soul shattering moment of instant recognition…which permeated my soul in such a way…that its written in my very gene code. a mark…a memory I have carried with me down the ages….for lives.

The strange thing is that when I saw the movie I felt an innate happiness. People I’ve recommended the movie to see…have deemed it as a sad movie……but I don’t know…why in this movie and in others like…

Sweet November……Message in the Bottle……I have felt nothing but a warmth derived from familiarity. Let’s just say death has been an old friend…never an enemy. I know many would find this post insane and the midnight mutterings of a mad woman. But its exactly 2:15a.m and as I write this down…I have never been more alive or human…someday I hope I feel that recognition again…or maybe I already have... my share of that feeling …And those of you out there…who know what I mean…will smile and bask in that warm glow…or maybe just the remembrance.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ENERGY SAVING ----SMALL STEPS THE BLACKLE WAY

IF BLACKLE CAN SAVE ENERGY..........




.....WHY CANT BLOGGING COMMUNITIES??

INFACT IF THERE ARE ANY DARK TEMPLATES WE CAN USE AS BLOGGERS.....then why dont we?.............ON AN AVERAGE I SPEND APPROXIMATELY 2-3 HOURS EVERYDAY VIEWING BLOGS....AND READING STUFF ON THE INTERNET...........IMAGINE.............JUST IMAGINE.........IF EVERY BLOGGER IN THE BLOOGING LANDSCAPE USES A DARK TEMPLATE....
AND IF OUR DESKTOP BACKGROUNDS ARE DARK...


I KNOW IT WOULD BE A SMALL STEP........BUT ONE HAS GOT TO START SOMEWHERE


Saturday, June 14, 2008

THE TRADEMARK OF A TRUE REBEL

One isn’t always a rebel in the most obvious way of going against the rules. The rules are meant to be broken a pseudo rebel might say. A true rebel isn’t one without logic or cause. He or she will only go the anti way when they have a reason to do so. a deviation from what they might find comfortable and convenient. For example if one likes outdoorsy dressing they might wear a pair of khakis Jeff Corwin style and still have the equanimity to carry it off in the dining hall of the Ritz.

A rebel will try to make his own space truly his own. I don’t think that’s so bad …is it? Doesn’t everyone have a right to individuality.isnt that the first right we are born with? We do carry the genes of the generations before us but that doesn’t rule out the need to have your own niche. and if someone needs to break a few rules to get that space I feel its perfectly justified.

However please do not confuse what I mean by your own niche with something that hurts other individuals and society at large. If you are a psychopath who finds his salvation in perpetration of misery to humankind…I don’t think that kind of space to do what you want is justified. Your niche should be your own…it should not over lap with anyone else’s and shouldn’t encroach on someone else’ private space too. for example if someone finds salvation in traveling and living wild…like a nomad…I’d say Mr. Rolling Stone has every right to do so as long as his wanderlust doesn’t hurt anyone else.

The best rebel is the quiet rebel. One who goes about his business not bothering about others and about the impact his actions might have on others.Offlate I feel that our generation is getting traits of the original rebel in many aspects of his life. for example a total disgust with the political systems of the world and their inability to provide good governance is turning most of the youth from “democratic” and “liberal” to now…”not political”.
Religion too nowadays doesn’t matter. In my own religion I see total despair and the flock is turning away from the church gradually. The reasons might be many from inability of the church to capture the attention of their flock, disintegrating family values, lack of time for religion etc……
People are more inclined to becoming “spiritual” than religious. Many people don’t any longer believe in the concept of God. It’s just the mono concept of the eternal “I”…or more popularly right actions or karma…and ever-present temptation or Maya. To an age group totally educated and governed by logic, a total negation of it will lead to a feeling or surrealism which is as difficult to believe as the existence of Gnomes and Santa Claus.

It is with mixed feelings that I receive these changes. If this was natural rebelliousness derived from a need to put correct the wrong being done, it would be well received. But that is not so. It’s a rebelliousness derived from disgust of the present condition and despair that it will ever change for the better. Its alienation …an indifference to the situation at hand. People are revolting no more to change the current faulty situation but to escape it without having to get embroiled in controversy. it shows a singular lack of concern at large--- a very dangerous situation because individual motives have given rise to now what is called selfish motive…

One could argue that this is what rebellion is. It’s the disregard of all else but the self…and the personal space. However I did say earlier…it cannot be at the cost of others.

FREEDOM IS NEAR

















The invisible bonds strain but hold fast still
But deep in the recess of my soul
That little fire burns still
It stays reflected in my eyes till eternity
That twinkling smile of mirth at our predicament
Of how we take this world so seriously
Of all our cares and material wealth
The transitory joys and sorrows…that plague us so



REFRAIN

I believe in destiny
It was meant to be
Those bonds will break someday
But that twinkling smile shall remain
Will tell tales untold…of ages gone
Of battles won and lost
All in the blink of an eye
That passed like a million ages
It will tell of love and patience



To those who know…
And have been there…
They shall know…
This is just the interim
Just the trial ground
Just the time to stand straining on the outside
And laughing with merriment on the inside
At the inevitability of this freedom



It’s the feel of the sun on your face after days of darkness
It’s the smell of the rain on the air after the very memory of it is parched
Tis manna from heaven
If ever a heaven existed.
It’s indescribable
And everyone who tastes of that fountain,
Shall want nothing more…no more



Why can’t everyone see the light?
The joy that I see…the unbearably beautiful quest
The most desirable pleasure cannot compete with
The greatest richness beyond all worldly paradise
It’s no more surreal
But within a hands reach
Just there waiting to be clenched, devoured and consumed
Oh! The pleasure of consuming and being consumed

Monday, June 9, 2008

THE WORLD IS MY COFFEE CUP (thought i'd do something for my 100th post.......just about one of my passions...coffeeholic special!!)





No doubt sipping a strong cup of coffee can help do away with drowsiness, but can the aroma of the beverage also perform the same task? Well, Japanese scientists say yes, it may.

Dr Yoshinori Masuo of the National Institute of Industrial Science in Japan carried out tests on sleep-starved rats, and found the aroma-boosted genes that produce chemicals in the brain to fight fatigue and sleep deprivation.

He said that the aroma of coffee also boosted genes that control anxiety, and made the rats less stressed.

"Many of the genes have human equivalents," the Mirror quoted him as saying.

Dr. Masuo revealed that his team was planning studies to identify the chemicals in coffee aroma that cause such effects.

He said that such research efforts might give rise to a potential new approach to liven up tired workers who would not have time for a coffee




JUST IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO THE WORLD OF COFFEE??? BOTH COFFEE LOVERS AND BUYERS....THE COFFEE COMPANIES............THERE MIGHT COME A DAY WHEN YOU HAVE COFFEE INTERACTIVE SITES WITH SMELL RELEASERS......SO GET READY TO GET THE SMELL OF FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE........AS U PERUSE YOUR MAIL EARLY IN THE MORNING...AND NO HASSLES OF SWITCHING ON THE PERCOLATER.......


Thought i'd share some of my favourite coffee recipes with you guys.......










Cafe Au Lait ( Coffee with Milk )
Ingredients:
1 c Milk
1 c Light cream
3 tb Instant coffee
2 c Boiling water
How To:
Over low heat or in double boiler, heat milk and cream till hot. Meanwhile, dissolve coffee
in boiling water. Before serving, beat milk mixture with rotary beater-till foamy. Pour milk
mixture into one warmed pitcher or server, and coffee in another. To serve: Fill cups from
both pitchers at the same time, making the streams meet en route. Makes 6 servings.




Buttered Rum Coffee
Ingredients:
1/3 c Ground coffee
1/4 ts Freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/4 ts Rum extract
1/8 ts Liquid butter flavouring
How To:
Place coffee and nutmeg in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. In a cup,
combine remaining ingredients. With processor running, add flavorings. Stop processor
and scrape sides of container with a spatula. Process 10 seconds longer. Store in a
refrigerator. Yields: Mix for eight 6-ounce servings





Black Forest Coffee
Ingredients:
6 oz Fresh brewed coffee
2 tb Chocolate syrup
1 tb Maraschino cherry juice
Whipped cream
Shaved chocolate/chips
Maraschino cherries
How To:
Combine coffee, chocolate syrup, and cherry juice in a cup; mix well. Top with whipped
cream, chocolate shavings and a cherry.





Arabian Coffee
Ingredients:
1/2 litre (about 1 pint) water
3 tablespoons coffee
3 tablespoons (or more) sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla sugar
How To:
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until foam gathers on top. Do not pass through
a filter. Stir it up before you serve it.



Cafe Cappuccino
Ingredients:
1/2 c Instant coffee
3/4 c Sugar
1 c Nonfat dry milk
1/2 ts Dried orange peel
How To:
Crush in mortar and pestle
Use 2 T. for each cup of hot water



Cafe Con Miel
Ingredients:
2 c Prepared coffee, (fresh, instant, or decaf)
1/2 c Milk
4 tb HONEY, more or less to taste
1/8 ts Cinnamon
Dash nutmeg or allspice
Dash vanilla
How To:
Heat ingredients in a saucepan, but do not boil. Stir well to combine. Serve as a light
dessert.


Cafe De Ola
Ingredients:
8 c Water
2 sm Cinnamon sticks
3 Whole cloves
4 oz Dark brown sugar
1 Square semisweet chocolate or Mexican chocolate
4 oz Ground coffee
How To:
Bring the water to a boil, then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and chocolate. When the
liquid comes to a boil again, skim off any foam. Reduce the heat to low and make sure the
liquid does not boil. Add the coffee, and let it steep for 5 minutes. Serve the coffee in an
earthenware pot with a ladle.





Cafe' Mexicano
Ingredients:
1 oz Coffee liqueur
1 ts Chocolate syrup
1 ea Hot coffee
1/2 oz Brandy
1 ea Dash ground cinnamon
1 ea Sweetened whipped cream
How To:
Combine coffee liqueur, brandy, chocolate syrup and cinnamon in a coffee cup or mug. Fill
to the top with hot coffee. Top with whipped cream.




Cafe Royale
Ingredients:
3/4 c Hot Strong Coffee
4 ts Brandy
1 Sugar Cube
How To:
Pour coffee into warmed mug. Float 2 teaspoons brandy on coffee. Put remaining 2
teaspoons brandy into a tablespoon with sugar cube. Warm spoon over hot coffee. With a
match, carefully ignite brandy in teaspoon. Slowly lower spoon into coffee to ignite floating
brandy. Wait 1 minute after flame has died before drinking.




Cafe Vienna Look-alike
Ingredients:
1/2 c Instant coffee
2/3 c Sugar
2/3 c Non-fat dry milk
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1 pn Cloves
1 pn Allspice
1 pn Nutmeg
How To:
Blend in blender until very fine powder. Use 2 teaspoons per cup




Cappuccino Shake
Ingredients:
1 c Skim milk
1 1/2 ts Instant coffee
2 pk artificial sweetener
2 dr Brandy or rum flavouring
1 ds Cinnamon
How To:
In a blender, combine milk, coffee, sweetener and extract. Blend until coffee is dissolved.
Serve with a dash of cinnamon. For a hot drink, pour into a mug and heat in a microwave.





Chocolate Almond Coffee
Ingredients:
1/3 c Ground coffee
¼ ts Freshly ground nutmeg
½ ts Chocolate extract
½ ts Almond extract
¼ c Toasted almonds, chopped
How To:
Process nutmeg and coffee, add extracts. Process 10 seconds longer. Place in bowl and stir
in almonds. Store in refrigerator. Makes 8 six ounce servings. To brew: Place mix in filter
of an automatic drip coffee maker. Add 6 cups water and brew



Chocolate Coffee
Ingredients:
2 tb Instant coffee
1/4 c Sugar
1 ds Salt
1 oz Squares unsweetened chocolate
1 c Water
3 c Milk
Whipped cream
How To:
In saucepan combine coffee, sugar, salt, chocolate, and water; stir over low heat until
chocolate has melted. Simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring
constantly until heated. When piping hot, remove from heat and beat with rotary beater
until mixture is frothy. Pour into cups and sail a dollop of whipped cream on the surface of
each. Makes 6 servings.



Creamy Iced Coffee
Ingredients:
1 c Chilled brewed coffee, made double-strength
2 tb Confectioners' sugar (rounded tablespoons)
3 c Chopped ice
How To:
Combine the coffee, sugar, and ice, and blend until creamy.




Creamy Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
4 c Strong fresh coffee
1/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Irish whiskey
1 c whipping cream
2 tb Sugar
2 tb Irish whiskey
How To:
Place 4 cups of strong fresh coffee in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of sugar, or to taste. Add 1/2
cup Irish Whiskey and heat thoroughly but do not boil. (Scotch, Bourbon or other
whiskeys could be used.) Meanwhile whip 1 cup whipping cream until light. Beat in 2 tb
each of sugar and Irish whiskey. Pour coffee into mugs or goblets and pipe or spoon
flavoured cream on top.




Flavoured Coffees (mocha)
Ingredients:
1/4 c Powder non-dairy creamer
1/3 c Sugar
2 tb Cocoa
1/4 c Dry instant coffee
How To:
Place all ingredients in mixer, beat at high until well blended. Mix 1 & 1/2 TB mix w/ 3/4
cup hot water. Store in air tight jar.




Homemade Coffee Liqueur
Ingredients:
4 c Sugar
1/2 c Instant coffee
3 c ;Water
1/4 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Vodka, high-proof
3 tb Vanilla
How To:
Combine sugar and water; boil till sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to simmer & simmer 1
hour. LET COOL. Stir in vodka & vanilla. Pour up.

Friday, June 6, 2008

TIS MANNA TO THE WEARY SOUL

today is a bad night in a series of bad nights.Ive tried everything from reading two novels back to back...watching my favourite animation movie Ratatouville.........then watchign two seasons of Friends till my eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets...........when i finally decided to drag my ass to the computer table and hog a little of internet space....

a few days before i had capped all of the bad nights ive ever had........and that was because it was an axceptionally hot night.........i walked the passageway from my room to the dining space the entire night.....and went and walked in my lawn from 4:30 am till 7?30 am..........one long walk fest..........

but today i dont know how long i'll be here too coz the mosquitoes are feasting off my legs..........*somebody must have left the doors open at dusk*.........


anyway...

i wonder whats the perfect thing to do to fall asleep........immediately when the head hits the pillow........
never had that luck with me.......as my mum calls it.......'the sleep of the just'....infact whenever im dog tired i tend to stay up and edgy all night.......the only time ive slept like a log is when i was drugged with sleeping draughts during my covalescence after my road accident.............but thats not an option anymore........


huh! what i'd give for some good hours of dreamless sleep at night.......what i would give not to think and remember anything in my life anymore...........just a blissful blank.......