Freeze!

This magazine makes me freeze in my tracks everytime I see a roadside vendor display it. I don’t know – how, what, why…..but after this piece I feel I do. Here goes.

fReEzE!

I’ve been wanting to pick up magazines, the likes of NatGeo for quite a while now. The primary reason; they are timeless, good photography and provide provocative images that make good subjects for sketching.

So I made some killing, picked some real old issues (’73, ’79, ‘88 editions) for 15 Gandhis (rupees) a piece. Believe it?  Well, It was a killer bargain, a damn good one at that. He asked for 125 bucks initially when I chose close to 10 issues, but then looking at my reaction he decided to drop the three digit figure and quote a price for what it actually was worth according to him.

I shouldn’t be fooling myself though, for it is worth more than 15 bucks due to it not being in print and something that old will fetch a good price in the whole, wide world.

The images as usual were surreal, considering the leaps and bounds the world has taken since then. I picked up a Nat Geo featuring Afghanistan. Looking at the pictures of that country before all hell broke loose;…..for more click here. And, while I am at it, here’s an unheard of movie I once saw on a flick channel. It was titled : The Beast of War. Its background is the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Looking at some of these images/flicks, you realize that the world has gone crazy ever since.

Apart from that being a point. Here’s some food for thought: “A picture is worth a thousand words” ; I must say, I agree. Nat Geo’s are special in that regard. If you notice – every image can inspire, spur imagination and force us to ask questions we would have never thought about. I see these roadsidewallahs sell these masterpieces for 15 bucks a piece, I try and pick up some. Every issue is special and the standard of journalism and photography a notch higher, and always over and above. No wonder I freeze. Freeze and try and take in all I can. Breathe in, Exhale slow if you know what I mean.

> Some Titles in those 8 issues:
I tried to find images for the back issues but met with no success. Anyways I will try and scan/photograph if possible and post it sometime later.
1. American 4-H Exchange: Down on the Farm in the U.S.S.R – Jun ’79
>> Cover Page Caption: A barefoot ballerina dances for her grandfather on a Soviet Farm in the Ukraine. (Photograph: James Tobin)

2. CHILE – Republic on a Shoestring – Oct ‘73
>> Cover Page Caption: Shirt matching the red in her nation’s flag, a lovely Chilean joins a political rally. (Photograph: George F. Mobley)

3. Honey hunter in Nepal – Nov ‘88

The Honey Hunter Cover NG Nov ‘88 (read below)

>> Cover Page Caption: Unavailable. However the cover page shows an old man covered with rags trying to harvest honey with just some rudimentary equipment dangling over a 120 – meter (395 foot) cliff. (Article and Photographs: Eric Valli and Diane Summers)

4. Turkomans, Horsemen of the Steppes – Nov ’73 (Not on the cover page, but an article)
>>Some Paras:
o The Turkomans are one of Central Asia’s many Turko – Mongol peoples. These tribes-men, traditional nomads and superb horsemen, are the aristocrats of the steppes. They are the descendants of Attila’s Huns; their forebears rode with Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.
o They remain, however a, closed and secretive people. As Moslems, they guard their women from strange men. They dislike cameras, a serious handicap for us; worse, they are wary of outsiders. (Article and Photographs: Sabrina and Roland Michaud)

5. Walk across America: On to the Pacific – Aug ‘79
>> Cover Page Caption: On the road again, Peter Jenkins – joined by his wife, Barbara – braves a blistering Texas day during a 4,751 – mile transcontinental trek. (Photograph: Skeeter Hagler)

Cover Page: A Nov ‘73 NatGeo

Hope you enjoyed the information.

Truly,

CZ

Copyright: National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.

The Centenarian

Dear All,

Talk about deviation from biking, but felt I must include this. Something useful for all the office goers (including myself). Health, youth is something we take for granted and regret once we lose it. So here’s something….

The Post is as follows (just a portion of course):

For me, a perfect workday incorporates many of the tips below, but never all of them at once. I use a combination of strategies to ensure that most of my days are fairly relaxed. Do I still get stressed? Undoubtedly. But it’s a far less frequent thing than in the past.

Here’s how I do it.

1. Do less. Those of you who know me by now saw this one coming. It’s very difficult to have a relaxed workday if you have too much going on. Instead, learn to reduce what you do, but choose the most impactful tasks and projects — the ones that will mean the most over the long term. I choose three important things to achieve each day, as I’ve said before. Those are the three things I can do today that will have the most impact in my life.
2. Create a morning routine. And make it a relaxing one. That could include some of the things below, such as exercise, a hot bath, or quiet working time. For me, it means getting up earlier so I’m not so rushed, and then doing little rituals (like having a quiet cup of coffee and reading) that will ensure I start the day perfectly.
3. Prepare the night before. An evening routine is also essential to starting your day right. This might include things like choosing your three Most Important Tasks for the next day, so you know what you’re……..(to read more..click here!)

Source: The Centenarian (Find it below in the links column)