Scenes from a ride

So ended our 80 km ride. We had a new rider on a very basic bike and were slowed down considerably on our way. She decided to bring the bike back on an auto-rickshaw and we were free to ride as fast as we liked. The fastest stretch, sadly was a road dotted with potholes. A more accurate description of it would be a set of potholes punctuated with bits of road.

If I had not refused the samosas - their oilyness appalled me - perhaps I would have been faster. One of the guys on a motorbike who was trailing me for a while along that disastrously traffic-infested stretch raised a thumb in acknowledgement when he finaly overtook. Another car, which I had got dangerously close to, shouted out "Oye!" in typically Delhi fashion. It might have been followed by a few expletives, which was drowned by the noisy traffic.

Speaking of Delhi, I can't help but think it is the outsiders that often outdo the locals at being Delhiites (here I am refering to everything outsiders complain without hesitation about.) Saw a typical example of it today and have seen my fair share at work as well. Delhi has a different culture compared to the other cities I have lived in and though outwardly, they take pride in looking shinier than their famed counterparts in the West, the mindset is ironically primitive.

Recently my friend pointed out that I use reflections a lot in my photos. Too much of it can become a cliché, I know. Another, quite some time back had commented on how frequently I shoot droplets! Both these observations are accurate though it isn't always a conscious effort. Like yesterday's shot, many might think (me included), it's the reflections that make it, but they were purely incidental! Even in today triptych - which is more to prevent the two of them from gathering dust at some forgotten corner of the hard disk - there is a reflection.

P.S. This is just a personal note, a reminder of how madly I laughed yesterday evening. Had to be quiet, which made it all the more difficult. It was during a conversation with a fellow blipper - a very funny one - and we were so much in agreement on lots of things.

Larger view.