Tuesday 24 April 2012

selling

stairs, mango, link road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
 
It is all about it. Apparently. At least here in bombay or mumbai.

I hate it. so much. Maybe i am just terrible in it and that is THE best Way to excuse it. Attack instead of defense, but i still cannot help it.

I like the idea of earning my honor. And somebody may argue that this is also a way of earning. But not my way. But mumbai’s way.

Most of laila’s jobs are based on networking. Going to a festival and than talking. Doing a lot of talking. With everybody and anybody. Good entertaining conversation, getting the full attention of the networked and then handing out or sliding in with the most amazing idea or just staying memorable. That's the idea of it.

most of the time when i talk with artists or professionals i always feel they are not in the slightest interested and if i get the feeling, true or not, i react and step back. because if he does not want, he or she does not.

I am not good in selling, i guess. Selling implies being convinced, having the drive and courage to make you buy something you never, in the worst but most likely case, wanted to have. and you can show that you sell a product but don't feel ashamed.

I am getting better. Not in the Field, but on the net. Purely professional, no smoothing in and around.

Maybe or better probably in 10 years from now i will read it and laugh. Hopefully.

Laila hates it as well, but she is Good and she is already in half of the world.
 
dress, mango, link road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

between the lines


woman, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
just a theory:

looking at middle class and gender woman have a good position. equal position. you see them in a lot of high positions, even or above all politics are overflown with woman. why? that is a different question. but it is there.

they are going to work, taking the same public transport, earning the same money. are going home. a lot of them are actually not married by the time they are in there mid twenties, they are self confident. they are dressing modern. some of them, not all. depends. individually assigned.

a good female movement.

leg, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
wall, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012

the strange thing is. getting to know them on a social scale, watching their life and they way they are treated, judges messured there they have a very backward position. not being able to stand up for their opinion going out alone and above all not thinking is described to them.

last week i met a journlaist. he was helping me with one project. we talked. in the bus. on my way to the train station. topic was woman, relationships, love.

'i can understand parents. they are just worried about woman having relationships before marriage. just imagine when the parents are away, or whatever. a lot of things can happen. and the parents just want to secure them.'

he is married, has a wife, a child. works with woman, works with me. talks with me.

tradition sometimes overtakes own thinking process. being cought up in a certain lifestyle certain ideas are not being reasked, to self explanative and intergrated are those ideas.

' i understand but do you not think woman can think for themselves, make decision about their life. do you not think they wanna have a career, instead of family.'

a bit of trust maybe in the fact that people can use their brain.

but i understand. it is not in a mean way. it is just being scared, worried. things such as parents have to do. parents not guys maybe.

view1, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
view2, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
view3, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
woman are annoyed about it. certainly. above all because of the discrepancy. how many i do not know. a lot of them i talk to, in the train, bus. lot of spaces, but just woman who wanna talk to me and can. so just a selection. i know.

a girl, talked to me, in the train, about different compartents, about man not being able to not touch them on their body parts when they come to close. the idea that complains are useless and the fact that it is ok as it is. giving up.

meeting woman in the public is always interesting. guys always talk with me when they eet me. they have no interested in considering your interest, they are not aware of privacy. they love their picture being taken. they ask for it. thats a generalisation. i know.

the woman i meet are most of them quiet, they look, smile, some of them talk. if it comes up with cameras they run away.

girl, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
girl, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012
in germany at the end of the 60s till the end of the 80s they were fighting. for equality in work, in privacy. the right to decide what they want. a log fight.

i always took equality for granted, got a bit bored in my course talking about it. now i understand. it was a fight. a brave fight, above all because it was ok, before. but not ideal.

women departments, family members protecting them, man giving them a lift home is ok. a good compromise, way out of making change. old establishments are staying, just niches got established for resting moments.

still the woman are annoyed, but it is ok, at least we have women departments.

train, local train, between bandra and cst, mumbai, april 2012


project work...

house front, chapel road, bandra, mumbai

I was crying, just a bit. just cause of worrying, loosing self confidentness, being tired.

I need work. i haven't had work for weeks.  Finally i got an assignment and I need to work. Work means: understanding Brief, thinking, researching, finding and convincing.

Every single time i start a new project i have the same scareness: Entering a strangers life is like going to a different Country. Even so quite bering aware what will happen, certain factors are the same there is always the feeling of insecurity, the abstract, which can be filled up with a lot of thoughts. And they can get far.

I did not even get close to. I cried at the end. Not long. Short. Pittyfull.

Initially the family was really excited about the idea. Appointment for next day. I was there. They not. Searched for them. Came back on an advice of a woman. Again one hour waiting. They were not there. Almost leaving, then the dad came. 


'Tomorrow Morning, come- yes we are still interested.'

Next Morning- the Mum is opening the door:

'My daughter is on holiday, with her grandparents in delhi.'

I like honesty. Or good liar.







aftermath:  i never met a family, but therefore an other family. a good family, with interest. i was a bit nervous, talked, there was no convincing, took images, laughed, enjoyed their company.





assignment was done. 2 days later, beautiful images. i got 2 more assignments from magazines.


dinner for two

breadcrumps, raji's home, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
raji is lailas uncle, is nilu's brother. is my friend. maybe.

he is 50, is gay, a designer, for clothes, for interior, for food, has crazy henna hair, pilled up to a ponytail, always two glasses on his head, everyday different shoes and can cook fantastically. and not spicy and not italian. and no faible for expencive whine.

he is deaf, talks all the time, about his life in london, in frankfurt, his present guys here, his designs. if he does not know what to talk about he makes something up. he loughes a lot, has the most amazing fb collection of picture from himself, being stupid.

it is important to mention that he is deaf. not that he is funny and has a huge amount of talents. it is about him being special and not trying to show him he is normal as other people. he is, but he is not.

there is nothing against praising somebody's achievement. extraordinary things people do, because they are brave, intelligent, smart, honest, liar, maybe, whatever.

there is this fashion around contemporary thinking not to make people who have special needs stand out, because of the urgent interest in projecting them as normal as possible. like we all are. kidn of contribuiting respect by neglect. thats ok i understand. not everybody is special just because of some missing senses.

but he is special, he is gay with all its stereotypes attached, he is deaf and he talks so i can understand. all that makes him special. and he can cook.

sunday evening we are cooking at his place. we get some whine. and pasta with meatballs.

i a vergetarian, but that's ok as well.

food, raji's home, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

artifarti

grafiti, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

paint, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall paint, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012


painter's shoes, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall paint, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall paint, grafiti, chapel road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall paint, tujal , bandra, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, tulsi pipe, mumbai, april 2012




wall painting, tulsi pipe, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, tulsi pipe, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, tulsi pipe, mumbai, april 2012

wall painting, tulsi pipe, mumbai, april 2012

advantages...

trainstation cst, mumbai, april 2012
sometimes i love being a tourist. in india. when it comes up to travelling time.

may is the holiday for all indians. so vereybody goes on the train. because it is cheap, because the journeys are long. so no car and no plane and no bus, they are double the prize as well. plane are getting more common, but still 10 times more expensice. at least. within india.

so everything is booked out, waiting list are over 3 digits and the hallways are full with in front of the counter waiting people. a lot of man, hoping there would be still something available.

the room is full of people, the seats are packed with families. downstairs in front of the departure screen people are sleeping. ' you ave to get the ticket the day before the departure. the counter is opening at 8 am. come at 3 am than you get a place' a ticket woman to another customer not to me.


counter, trainstation cst, mumbai, april 2012
the travel agent said i would not get a ticket, should take the bus. that's ok as well. but double the prize, no fun looking outside the door and window. so i prefer train.

he does not know about traintickets for tourist. i know it. he does not. he is a travel agent. strange, but i trust me, better than him.

tourist tickets are just for tourist, a certain contingent. not always but for a lot of trains. i think it is strange, but then makes sense, cause otherwise tourist would be never able to take the train. the indians to quick. tourist never plan anything one week ahead. not always. not me at least.

i get the ticket, of course. the ticket man at the counter for tourist says. which train. all is available. ia m thankfully smiling. amazing. i cannot believe. the perfect train, a sleeper ticket, all what i wanted. within 15 minutes.


tourist office, hill road, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

going...

drinks, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
dj, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
dancing, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
dancing2, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
instruments, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
technic, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
girl, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
dance3, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
guy, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
feed, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012
finished, cool chef, mumbai, april 2012

social life

divia, divia's home, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

bag and drink, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

shoes, laila and evi, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

laila, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

beachlife

kids, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

beach,promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

clothes, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

beach, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

birds1, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
birds2, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
birds3, bandra, mumbai, april 2012

promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
guys, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
beach, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
kids, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012
hats, promenade, bandra, mumbai, april 2012