Like a kid in a toy store: Hamley’s Tour

 

OK so Hamley’s have opened in India and they are promoting it with noticeably full page spreads in your newspaper cant miss it kind of advertisements. The brouhaha on the fb pages is unmistakable too. We didn’t remain untouched, how could we? Post lunch at the Big Chill, Dlf Saket Mall, we a couple of mommies decided to visit the store to check bhai after all maazra kya hai? Aisi bhi kya baat hai?

The moment we were facing the façade of the store spread on two floors we were floored too (sorry for the pj but couldn’t resist). Anyhow out came the arsenal (in this case a camera) and the shooting started.

Once inside we were squealing like young kids with many oohs and aahs thrown in. Gosh were these guys sleeping when we were kids? Teddy bears, angry birds, Tom and Jerry and many other soft toys in all shapes and sizes all around us on the shelves at the counters and almost everywhere. While the ground floor was stuffed with stuff toys (again I think it’s a good day for pjs), the first level was full of educational toys right from Lego to Meccano to Hot Wheels to Frank, you name it they have it. We were actually a confused lot of mommies who didn’t know where to look and actually devising strategies as to where to lead the kids when they accompany us. It seemed that husbands will be left much poorer after our shopping trip there.

You think a toy and they have it. It’s a beautifully done up store though I wish that the Lego stand that jutts out was removed, it hurt when one of us unknowingly walked into it. They have set the bar high. Though I get discounts from my neighborhood toy store I think once in a while I will forego that just for experience sake and that says a lot since I am very typically Dilliwali “bhaiya ji kuch toh theek laga lo” mentality. Sigh!!

Art Shart at the India Art Fair 2013

 

Art means many things to many people and why should it not? After all art is a dialogue between self and the art. I do not ascribe to the notion that art only adorns the wall or vacant spaces, it can be the way you apply your bindi, drape the sari or place the vase on your coffee table. It is what you think it is. Art is for everyone and everyone is for art is my mantra. You have the eye the world provides you with a perspective.

I had heard and read a lot about the previous 4 editions of the art fair, so when I got a chance to visit this year I jumped at the offer. Organised at the NSIC Exhibition grounds in Okhla it is just about 15 minutes drive from home. Spread over 3 spacious halls, the art fair saw participation from 105 art galleries from 24 countries. The fair had something for everyone; right from the art critic to the collectors and for those like me that had visited purely for visual sensory pleasure. Once inside, my situation was well like the Alice in Wonderland surrounded by 1000s of paintings, sculptures and installation and digital art. At times I could not make up my mind if this is better than that and if I should look here or there!!

 

 

An installation by Hardik Dikshit called Arise is one that I found intriguingly interesting. Lamenting the loss of Gandhi’s ideals to commercialism his visiting card depicted a Rs500 bill featuring Dandi march without Gandhi and a sculpture rising above a mound of sea salt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delhi 7 trunk installation by Paresh Maity a major crowd puller depicted seven cities of Delhi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among the usual suspects like M.F.Husain, Jamini Roy, SH Raza, Souza, Satish Gujral, B.Prabha, Manjit Bawa, Subodh Gupta,Paresh Maity were also new emerging artists promoted by galleries. Mostly awe inspiring art, some by its sheer beauty others by magnitude and scale. There were some really enigmatic kind of art that I could not understand, maybe more trips down the years and knowledge of the artist would enlighten me, who knows. It was a gainful experience and totally worth it.

Well as usual I clicked many pictures and leave it to you to decide what is your definition of art. Click here for a tour of the fair.

Balle Balle ..Davis Cup

 

Leander Paes in Action

A chance sighting of the poster on distribution of tickets for the Davis Cup match inspired me into picking up tickets for my, much interested and being coached for tennis, son. He is coaching for tennis and displays a natural flair for the game. On the appointed day (2nd February 2013) jostling major jams and son’s increasing with each traffic light anxiety, we finally made it to the venue R.K.Khanna Stadium in Delhi. Another challenge was to look for a parking spot which as in most parts of the city is at premium.

Once inside the venue the atmosphere was electric and son was ecstatic to see Leander Paes in action. (We had gone for men’s double, India Vs Korea.) In between the winning shots by team India the crowds there was boisterous play of the dhol and the bhangra. Also giving dhol company were gongs, chants of “jeetaega bhai jeetaega India jeetaega”, a DJ belting out Chak De India song from the popular SRK starrer and tri color being waved by the audiences. And yes, while there we spotted Shotgun too.

 

Though I don’t understand too much of the game the energy was infectious and the fact that we were winning was in itself a big high. My son thoroughly enjoyed one of his fav sportsperson game and we all came out with hoarse throats and a lifetime of memories. I dutifully clicked many pictures to share on my blog, so just click here for more.