One

Last week three major religions of the world had three major festivals -

Hindus celebrated Dashera - Festival of Dashera concludes the festival of Navaratri, and the holy day also commemorates the triumph of good over evil

Jews celebrated Yom Kippur - also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for religious Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance

Muslims celebrated Id-ul -Fitr - it signifies the end of Ramadan - the islamic holy month of fasting -Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period.

Now to me this is very ironic and raises a lot of questions -
1) How come all religions have overlapping "holy" days?
2) Why is this month a month of fasting and repentance?
3) All the religions are basically trying to achieve HIM by their different actions of religions indulgences - why then this great divide between You and Me - Your Faith and Mine - Your God vs Mine

Some questions always remain as questions and it is upon US to choose to celebrate and enjoy these differences or bicker about them.

I for myself enjoy all the festivals and have been lucky to have friends in many different faiths and religions - I believe in celebrating LIFE AS A WHOLE and savor all its varieties.

The title of the post and the thoughts that made me write the above note -

ONE is a song that is playing in the background performed by U2 - the biggest rock group in the world currently - and Bono its lead singer has been a proponent of various non profit awareness programs and a strong voice against many injustices around the world.

The band is actively involved in improving human rights around the world with organizations such as Make Poverty History, Live 8 and Bono’s DATA campaign

Last week I was able to see them perform at U2 360 Concert at Giants Stadium - New Jersey. It was a spectacular event - with a crowd of 82000 plus - singing, chanting and simply being ONE with music the most powerful weapon in the world. (no wonder Apple and its I tunes sold more than a billion song some time back).

I am unable to portray my experience in words - I have been listening to them since my high school days and finally was thrilled to see them live.

Here are some pictures and also a link to You Tube - some videos that I posted.





Here is the link to the videos - You Tube Ceedyreflections

Don't forget we all are ONE in spite of our differences.

LIGHT action CAMERA

Some experiments with the camera to capture the shades light and life.

Tanhai - Loneliness

Antar aatma - Subconcious
(this is a pic of the shower - liked the interplay of light and shadow - its there but not there)

Jeevan Ke Pehlu - Moments of Life

Boondein - Droplets

Driving Mr. Gandhi

No this is not a plagiarist post on a Morgan Freeman's 1989 movie Driving Miss Daisy - although Bollywood's influence does make me Copy and Paste something but I will resist.

This happened last week when I was driving through New York City - driving there is akin to driving in any big city - it is a reality show of survival of the fittest having patience and endurance. New York has tons of bad drivers and they have no choice but to drive badly because if you are nice and let someone pass or too careful you will never reach anywhere.

The so called "bad" drivers are the cab drivers and sadly enough more than 75% of New York cab drivers are Desis. They have been portrayed in Movies like Aa aab Laut Chale and also portrayed in American serials like Ranjit in How I Met Your Mother.


The word Desi encompasses all the people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and it is a secular word and does not discriminate against sex, orientation, religion or color. Thus

Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaahi
Sabko Milkar Kahe
Mere Desi Bhai

(Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christian originating from these countries fall under this category).

Now coming back to the main point of this post - these drivers drive as if - colloquially speaking - "unke baap ka raasta hai" (the road belongs to their fathers). So they swerve, cut, overtake, tailgate, come close to your car and still smile the Desi Smile as if "sab chaanga hai - tussi fikar na karo yaara" (everything is fine - dont worry)

So as I told you before - as I was driving an idea struck me - well the mind is free when you eally enjoy something but more about that later.

What if this Desi Taxi Cabbie was to Drive Mr. Mahatma Gandhi across New York City. What advice would Mr. Gandhi teach/share to make the cabbie proud.
(did I not tell you bollywood is a big influence in my life - If Munnabhai got influenced by this Khadi Clad Demi God - "main kis khet ki mooli hoon" (I am not someone special not to get influenced)

So assuming what Mahatma Gandhi would have preached read ahead -

He has his Three Monkeys - See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil - based on that he probably will tell the cabbie - just keep driving - see no cars around, hear no honks and don't utter a word about it.

Or like his other quote - An eye for an eye will make the world go blind - sadda desi will take it literally - an brake for another cabbie braking will make NY go crowded - so simply keep driving.

Also our Desi cabbies are from Democratic countries so they surely will take this one literally too
"If we want to cultivate a true spirit of democracy we cannot afford to be intolerant. Intolerance betrays want of faith in one's cause."
Thus all the cabbies are tolerant towards each other and beleive in not betraying their sole cause - Drive Bad - Make People Mad - And Feel Glad.

This reminded me of another great Freedom Fighter - Bal Gangadhar Tilak who proclaimed- Swaraj is my birthright and I shall Have It - this again my Desi Cabbies have taken it literally - they will argue with you -If you have a freedom to complain and moan - then I should have my Freedom to drive like a maniac - its the democratic principle - or like the American Constitution's First Amendment that infringes on anyone right to do what he/she deems right.

I could go on and on so just a last thought to end this post as I said before my mind is free as I do enjoy driving in the city. It feels like home sweet home - just like in Aamchi Mumbai.

Thanks Mr. Gandhi for your invaluable lessons - it has helped me enjoy Driving Badly with my fellow Desis as put aptly in his own words - "Suffering cheerfully endured, ceases to be suffering and is transmuted into an ineffable joy."

Here are Gandhijis Three Monkeys - courtesy Google Image Search

Gods Inc VI

This is the sixth write up in this series called Gods Inc. To read the previous stories click on the label on the right.


Due to the dire strait in the world economy and misjudged investments by the God - the program to update us Me74's was on a hold for the past few months.

If you are new reader here - just to catch up. I am a Me74 with 23 others like me that are strewn all over the world - world in this case is EARTH INC - one of the major companies in the God's Inc Portfolio. I have been sent here to simply collect data and not analyze or think and transmit this data so that it allows for research of better machines to be produced in the future. In the past few months due to some bad investments God had to sell of Pluto and some other asteroids in order to collect money to revive Earth Inc. He along with the major corporations of Saturn LLC, Jupiter Megamachines and Mercury Mania - all three major producers of thinking machines - got a stimulus package from the Intergalactic Bank.

So finally due to this stimulus - Me74 - the program that was put on the shelf is resuscitated.

I have started to work in full swing and here is the first piece of data that I am supplying. 51 years ago - God's Inc had partnered with Plastic Metamorphosis Corp, that is situated in the outer rims of galaxy. They had meticulously planned a Highly Effective Entertainment Module called Jackson. Today being his 51st anniversary of implementation - this investment by God seems to have worked fine as many pods that meander on Earth Inc in these part of the factory premises are blaring Jackson's oratory refined sensations over and over again to pay tribute to him. Well my task as usual does not end there - I was to collect data to find out why this Mega Machine disintegrated before its time.

This was a special update that I was wired to when they revived me. The whole machine that plastic Metamorphosis designed for Jackson was working fine. They had designed so that a dark skinned machine slowly metamorphosed into a white skinned machine. They also supplied the necessary parts to change the nasal cavities, the ear lobes, the lips to make it look more realistic. Their program was immaculate baring one glitch - the time line on the program was 50 years and then after that 50 years the machine was supposed to metamorphose into dark skin thus giving it a longevity. At the time of implementation scientist from Plastic Metamorpohsis only had been able to design the first part and at that time GOD because he wanted to gain Industrial Supremacy insisted that they implement Jackson and then take the 50 odd years to research and upgrade him to last another 50 years.

As always once Jackson was implemented and highly successful - GOD became lazy on his payments to Plastic - diverting his funds to more important developments like the Obama1 machine and clearing all the industrial sewage created by Bush 2. Thus Plastic to save its company still sent their agent - the Doc Man to insert the necessary supplements to revive the Jackson - but with lack of funding and disinterest from GOD - the plan was unsuccessful and thus the plug was pulled on Jackson.



You might wonder how I know all this data - usually I am supposed to only transmit. Well when I was in the storage yard waiting to be revived I met a senior analyst - Me61 - we share a drink once in a while and share data.

Since many of the interventions by God had failed for the past few months and his whole Economy was at a stand still - he devised newer modules whereby we machines could interact and collect data - one such module is called Facebook - where I was allowed to intervene for the past few months.

Before writing this I had called the data center of God's Inc. I have found out from Me61 that it is somewhere in a place called Noida in India. Seems that India and another factory next to it called China had been implemented with reproductive machines. It worked wonders whereby these machines have produced 33% of the factory workers for Earth Inc. But again due to insider trading before implementing these machines - God's Inc CEO Satan Killorama - who was responsible for this deal hid the fact from all the investors that these reproductive machines cannot be stopped.

Satan had an idea that once this big investment fails he will dethrone God and take over the control of Earth Inc. But he is laying low because he had not anticipated the big problem his one lie will lead to. Due to 33% of the weight of all the machines is on one side of the Earth Inc property - vast resources have to be sent there for their survival - all this has led to tremendous weight on one side thus changing the tilt of the Earth Inc property.

Earth Inc was designed with a 23 degrees tilt to the rotate around Furnace Sun - to give ample rest to its machines in a period of 12 hour cycles. Also infused in it were weather and seasons modules for the machines development. But due to this weight gain the tilt is now 23.5 degrees and thus has created a chaotic situation aptly called the Green Revolution - Green is the color of the extra money that Satan made by hiding the facts.

Buzzz.....damn I have been called for a special teleconference. I will have to take a leave and interact later - that is if they suddenly dont shelf us again.

YouTube Symphony

Had a hiatus for the last one and a half month. Was not really busy just irritated to think and write as it is spring time here and I have pollen allergies. So dedicated my time to catch up on sleep as I was in a sedated state most of the time. But alls well and there is lots I already did this summer. Will write about it in the coming blogs.

This post I will write about the one interesting musical performance that I attended in New York.

YouTube Symphony :
April 15th was the inaugural show for the YouTube Symphony aptly called The Internet Symphony - a Global Mash Up. This is the link to their main website.
It is my belief that the overall concept of this event is something which historians will write about when they write about the positive aspects of the internet and this period of digital revolution.
Few years back I had read a book by Thomas Friedman - The World is Flat - which basically spoke of how the entire world is a level field for work and business because of the advent of the computers. The whole process of outsourcing, working from home, multitasking etc etc.
Based on similar ideas - in the case of Youtube - they asked musicians from all over the world to post their videos playing one new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun. Based on that they selected 96 musicians - from all corners of the world - from completly diverse fields - surgeons, mechanics, farmers, teachers - who played a particular instrument as a hobby. This whole group performed for over 2-1/2 hours and it was a brilliant performance comparable to musical performance by professionals.

Here are two videos of the entire show if you are interested - do see fast forwarding parts of it - there are acts where a chinese girl plays on different sizes of cars tyre rims, there is an european DJ - mashing techno with classical, there is three kids playing simultaneously on one piano the same composition.

Why I believe that this will be part of History is

- Its an event where totally unknown faces got an exposure just for their sheer talent

- Computers, Internet and specially YouTube - things that were unknown a decade back - brought about the possibility of such an event. Makes me wonder how people must have felt when Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 that revolutionised the entire car industry.

- Symphony usually is an elite event usually with older listeners and not the kind of music that Yuppies or Dinks listen to but that boundary was shattered as the crowd attending this event was really Young.

-This probably is a beginning of a great idea that can be expanded to any creative fields.

And finally if and when I do have grand kids I can tell them - Ahem I was there then!

(Next post - A night with Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma)

Project WHY

A fellow blogger Aneri Masi introduced many of us to an interesting project - Project WHY spearheaded by Anouradha Bakshi.
"Project Why is a New Dehli (India) based non-profit organisation engaged in education support and life skill enhancement of slum children and their families..? We opened our first education center in 2000 and now, thanks to the generous support of friends and well wishers, have expanded our activities. "

The project is need of HELP. You can read the details at her blog - Project WHY needs help.

Do chip in and see what you can do.

(Am travelling - so am away from the blog. Have added an album on Facebook - let me know if you have an account there so I can add you to view it. )
Thanks

Initiative 30 on 30

One of the fellow bloggies Prashant aka Om a wonderful photographer has started an initiative to raise money for a cause using his photographic skills with some of his friends.

Here is the link to http://www.30on30.net/ - Do check it out.

Also dont forget to read rather see my last post Re session !

Re session

Have been busy. Will visit your blogs soon. Here are some random pictures taken in New York depicting the state of COMMON man strangled by recession.
Also have updated the Short Story blog with Strangers (the link is on the right bar)

Been there Done that!

The Hope fool !

Free Wedding Invitations Open to All
(guess people dont want to attend
as they have to give a gift!)

Even A Virgin have Lost her Charm - No suitors.
People Flock to the Almighty for Answers
St. Patricks Cathedral, NYC

But even He is Clueless!

St. Patricks Cathedral, NYC

So one lights A Candle

for HIM to see better and clear all this mess!

(Even I lit one - just in case)

St. Patricks Cathedral, NYC

World Builder

A technologically advanced love story - a video I came across on You Tube.
For those who liked Matrix : this is on similar lines -: where

A strange man uses holographic tools to build a world for the woman he loves. This is a short by filmmaker Bruce Branit. (some info about him and his other works)

I relate to the video and am fascinated as the tools that the character uses to create his world are the very same tools I use to create 3d - renderings and animations.

(the video is a bit long - around 9 mins - but if you liked the way Matrix was made - you will surely enjoy this video)

Here is a link shared by a fellow reader Cosmic Joy - on how this video became popular - exemplifies the power of the internet - Link

Chat-formation

Was tagged by WhoamI to write 25 random facts about me. Being blogging for a while have done these tags before and lot of randomness is spelt in them.

So instead I am presenting you a ramdom chat for exact 4 mins 25 secs that took place between me (cd) and my friend kedar (kp) - after todays horrific attack on the Sri Lankan Cricketers in Lahore early in the morning here.

Even though insipid in nature this is a sublime meaningful random rhetoric.

cd : What happened - supposed to be attacking cricket - but today cricket got attacked

kp : I did not do it!

cd : Well they say RAW was involved. Just thought of verifying with you as you are on a RAW vegetable diet.

kp : I feel LTTE has a hand in it or it is a bigger conspiracy where it is US's another money making scheme

cd : If it was LTTE then they would have to build a Ram Setu through India to reach Pakistan and the only person who could give them subsidised land was the Laloo - the rail dude.

kp : That is out of question. Maybe they were training to goto the cave of Obama filled with his flatulence and go boom.

cd: But how will they see Obama in a dark cave.

kp : They dont have to. They are also Vicco brown and trained to see the dark side without teeth.

cd : So you mean man teats?

kp : I did not say that. I say Kalla Bandar. (Black Monkey)

cd : You referring to Bandar Chap Dant Manjan. That means that his teeth are black and so he is invisible.

kp : That is true. Ahem.

cd : Maybe they can use Obama for a Super Rin advertisement - that way he will garner Safedi ki Chamkar jyada and endorse being Shiny Ahuja

kp : What is Shiny Ahuju called if his movie flops?

cd : ? What....

kp : Lacklustre Ahuja

cd : Yeah it is dull - freaking cold minus 5 today

kp : When cold - what happens to Shiny Ahuja's dick.

cd : Chotta Chetan

kp : Precisely he becomes Tiny Ahuja

cd : Ok dude. Have to go for a meeting.

kp : Hope you are not mating the imbeciles who pelted the lankans.

cd : They are seeking darkness I guess. Will wear ample protection when mating and penetrating them with my precise questions. Later.

Symbiotic City

This is a view from my apartment of NYC at night with the half moon in all its glory.

Currently I am reading a book called Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino :

There is a chapter Cities and Memories. Paraphrasing from that - It describes what a city really is :

"I could tell you how many steps make up the streets rising like stairways, and the degree of the arcades' curves, and what kind of zinc scales cover the roofs: but I already know this would be the same as telling you nothing. The city does not consist of this but of relationships between the measurements of its space and the events of its past : the height of a lamppost and the distance from the ground of a hanged usurpers swaying feet: the line strung from the lamppost to the railing opposite and the festoons that decorate the course of the queen's nuptial procession; the height of the railing and the leap of the adulterer who climbed over it at dawn...."

Like in any great city or town, its identity is not only its physical structure but the very people residing there, their dreams, aspirations and fears which ultimately dictate the outcome of how they perceive their home to be.

I write this because in the past few weeks, there have been lots of blogs that mentioned about why many people did not like Slumdog Millionaire - as it is based on marketing of the poverty of Bombay or India per se. But that is the most visually tangible aspect of our country where inspite of these great economic divide - each of us is allowed to dream to make it big in our own little way - it is the celebration of this co-existence and freedom that shapes the very spirit of the city of Bombay that is brilliantly captured in the movie.

I understand that many people feel that the West markets the poor -

there are two reasons -

one they have plenty here in terms of material wealth but there is a dearth of communal feeling here - its each for his own

and secondly they are unbiased and this allows them to be bold and show it as IS rather than put a glossy make up or shy away from reality.

Another book the dwells into this subject brilliantly is -

Shantaram - by Gregory David Roberts - it elucidates the experience of coexistence and how the city makes a person and in turn these collective groups of persons define the very nature of its existence. I

It is a symbiotic realm of mutual give and take.

Another picture Midtown Manhattan taken from a park on the cliff in West New York, New Jersey. Sitting in this park its fascinating to see the accomplisment of this urban jungle.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

Today is Friday the 13th and people who are scared of that day because of weird connotations have a phobia and that phobia is the title of this post. Luckily I do not suffer from this and am glad.


Here is an interesting list of some Phobias I found online. (there are many more)

Am glad that I don't suffer from many of them or else life will be miserable.

Telephonophobia - Fear of telephones.
(I am not scared, I just hate cell phones, don't know if that counts.)
Thaasophobia - Fear of sitting.
(Haha....these people will surely never be couch potatoes)
Nomatophobia - Fear of names.
(I fear forgetting names. So I will call it Amnesinomatophobia)
Nephophobia - Fear of clouds
(He should move to sunny Florida - but this person is doomed I guess)
Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
(Al Gore should collect all these people and put them in a Desert.)
Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
(This can be deemed as discrimination)
Barophobia - Fear of gravity.
(Imagine this person goes for Sky Diving - oops)
Sophophobia - Fear of learning.
(Aren't these people under the category of Dumb and Dumber?)
Scelerophibia - Fear of bad men
(The world will be a disaster if Superheroes get this phobia)
Pogonophobia - Fear of beards.
(He needs to stay away from Taliban Country for sure)
Leukophobia - Fear of the color white.
(Thats why criminals are put in grey cells - now you get it.)
Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables
(Crossing my fingers that I dont have this or else)
Euphobia - Fear of hearing good news.
(If you were husband to the octuplet mom - you will surely have Euphobia)
Clinophobia - Fear of going to bed.
(Zombies!)
Arrhenphobia - Fear of men.
(Potential Lesbians!)
Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers.
(For generations I am sure no one in my family had this - am a gujju)
Verbophobia - Fear of words.
(President of Anti Blogging Foundation)
Ablutophobia - Fear of washing/bathing
(Stinky pants)
Alektorophobia - Fear of chickens.
(If there is a town full these - there is no point opening a KFC there, is it?)
Bibliophobia - Fear of books.
(Lucky bastard - can avoid all the freaking homework and schoolwork)
Monophobia - Fear of solitude
(I am Monophilic :))
Nostophobia - Fear of returning home.
(All Immigrants kinda suffer from this but do not admit it)
Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
(Nightcrawler - and we feel scared of ghosts - duh - they are just patients)
Hydrophobophobia - Fear of rabies.
(Try saying that 10 times as fast as you can!)
Koinoniphobia - Fear of rooms.
(Potential clients for whom I can design Studio Apartments w/open toilet)
Megalophobia - Fear of large things.
(Does this include breasts?)
Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking.
(This person will save a lot of money on WeightWatchers)
Carnophobia - Fear of eating meat
(Honestly no guy will prolly have a fear of this - except if he is gay - cause guys love one animal - the pussy)
Pantophobia - Fear of everything
(Sadly this person cannot even die as he might be afraid of it too!)

Do you have Phobias?

Check this website - you might have one for sure - Phobialist

Randomness

A new short story - Tr-i-rony - Story 1 : Ramdin is up on the short story blog. The link is on the right.

_____________________________________________________________

The weather here has been nothing short of freezing for the past couple of weeks. There has been abundant snowfall. Here are some pics that I took in the forest past weekend.

Ice on a log in the lake.

The surreal White Path to Neverland

Bare Naked Ladies

Frosting on Natural Ice Cream

In this weather though the grey matter was mobile. So here are some random thoughts from the almost frozen brain.-

- A sentence like I had a good sleep - isnt this an assumption as there is no way to verify it unless you are awake. How and on what do we base that the sleep was good. Isnt it the waking up that is actually different that makes us beleive that we had a good sleep.

- Another one God Bless You - Now here first we assume that the person believes in God and that he/she is not an atheist or agnostic. Also we never verify if the person really needs blessing at that given moment of time.

Now taking it furthur many people wish you saying God Bless You with (something) but will it not be fair to give a Gift Card of virtual blessing instead of a specific one. That way the blessed will make the best use of it as he/she deems it.

- What really happens when someone is always in a bad mood and does not like being funny. Is his/her Funny Bone fractured. But that is not possible as Funny Bone is really not a bone but a most unprotected nerve in your arm that is very sensitive. So what really goes wrong and what is the purpose of calling a nerve a bone - Why confuse us?

- Another one Hang In There - now if you tell someone who is perplexed or suicidal - think about the consequences. He/she can really ask you Where to hang? Also where is this place really that one can Hang when we are troubled. I have never found it. Is it a place where by hanging we dry up our emotions like clothes dring in the sun and then we feel better.

- When someone ask you over the phone What's Up? What do they mean? Do they want to know where I am standing and what is over my head. Do I answer that its the sky, or a tree or a ceiling. The only time such a statement can help is when you are standing below a tree and the bird has just pooped and you are asked at that very moment What's Up? It can save you the hit and stink.

And dont forget the Short Story

American BS

I am not American, yet I enjoyed one very historic moment for this country -

Inauguration of the 44th President of United States - Barack Obama

congrats to him.

I enjoyed because you me and all of us are part of this history - where technology has made such a big difference.

For the past year I have been following his race and humble approach to include everyone to make a change for the better. He is very good orator and stupefies the audience everytime he gives a speech.

Internet has changed our lives in so many ways and this election and his victory was a testament to the most positive use of it thus far. He used technology to the fullest and got so many people - many young ones who avoided elections all together - to participate in the common goal. There was million plus crowd at the Washington DC mall - the largest crowd for a political gathering the city has ever seen.

Youtube was used to let the "common man" ask questions directly to the candidates during the primaries and today Facebook a social online network was used by CNN for live interaction when they showed the event live online. Also there must be innumerable blogs speaking for or against.

This empowerment of the common man hopefully spreads through to all the faculties of our human life - where one can avail of the best possible help from around the world - and is locally accepted means.

Time will be a witness to where all this leads to and what happens with this country.

It took eight years for Americans to get their BS straight.

Ironic isn't it - shift of focus is from oSama to oBama now.

Nirvana

There is a Short Story Competition.


My entry : Nirvana can be read at my short story blog. Link to the blog - here.


Also details if you are interested can be found there. It is open till 11.00 pm. EST US time.



Dont just stare go there and read will you

A. R. Rahman

Congratulations to A. R. Rahman for winning the Best Music Composure for the Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

The movie also won the Best Motion Picture. The Best Director and the Best Script.

You can listen to few of the original score here. It is a brillaint album - with the original Rahman touch - do listen to it and also dont miss the movie - it is being relelased in India this week.....its a "real" tribute to my favorite city in the world - Bombay aka Mumbai - my hometown.

Project

Thank you all for the warm birthday wishes.

Have been out and caught up with few things. Will respond to all your comments later. Meanwhile I have been asked by few readers here to share some work or projects that I dabble with. Somehow I dont carrying on work to the blog, so have been reluctant but then I thought What the heck!!!!

Here is one project that I started working on in February of last year. It is an historic structure. Here was a post of it showing the existing building - Ruminations

(the tags in the circle respond to the place from where the pictures below were taken)
Key Plan - This is an old historic barn (farm house) in central New Jersey. The owners are moving out of a big house as their kids have moved away. They wanted a quaint space where they could entertain family and guests and have a semi retired life.

The project involved adding a master suite, kitchen/family room and patio to an old historic farm house. The spaces in this old house are tiny as it is built around 1800's. To the left of the house are their stables/horses and swimming pool and the addition had to kind of had to open out the interior spaces to the exterior. Thus came about the idea of a transition space of a porch wrapped around. (seen in pic - 2). The porch also ties the new addition to the existing house as there is an existing porch but in the backyard (see in pic - 4)

Also the main criteria was to maintain the rustic barn look on the outside, mainting the roof lines, grades and to take care of existing structurul integrity and conditions and not alter much of the existing building. Also on the interiors it was important to match the woodwork to maintian the fluidity between the old and the new.

The pictures, I hope, are self explanatory.

1 - The front of the house with the left side addition towards the stables.

2 - Wrap around porch looking towards the swimming pool

4 - Sorry for the weird angles on this picture. It is taken in the backyard and was not able to get the correct perspective to join the two together.

5 - The entire addition is one and a half story open space. This is the kitchen/family room.

6 - This is the transition between the old and the new. The wall where you see the chimney is the old wall of the one story porch that we demolished. (this pic is in the old post)

Will be glad to answer any questions that you have. Just cant divulge the names of the owners and the budget. - Thanks.

Tirtee Faive

← 34 35 36 →
← 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 →
Cardinal thirty-five
Ordinal 35th(thirty-fifth)
Factorization Divisors 1, 5, 7, 35
Roman numeral XXXV
Binary 1000112
Octal 438
Duodecimal 2B12
Hexadecimal 2316

No matter how one interprets it - it's still my birthday today.....

and I according to my assumed lifespan I have reached 1/2 my usable age today. (thats what written on my manufacturers label : Best before 2044.)

People contemplate, reflect, introspect and chart a future course of action - I simply am going to enjoy.

Also hoping the Gods Inc agent are in time today to replace my batteries for this Model Me-74 as I feel the last years ones are drained out completly.

Well hope you guys have had a blast for the new year and and waiting in anticipation for your repsective bithdays....I now have an entire year already stocked up on the waitlist.