Cold coffee.

 Don't leave anything for later.

Later, the coffee gets cold.

Later, you lose interest.

Later, the day turns into night.

Later, people grow up.

Later, people grow old.

Later, life goes by.

Later, you regret not doing something...

When you had the chance. 

Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again.

Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words.

So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. For in the end, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled.

   — *Before the Coffee Gets Cold*, 

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Nothern lights.

White aura Finland.

 

Alaska.

Iceland colour splash.

Below preparing for the event. 

Other nothern regions. 

The northern lights are an atmospheric phenomenon that's regarded as the Holy Grail of skywatching.

The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, are beautiful dancing ribbons of light that have captivated people for millennia. But for all its beauty, this spectacular light show is a rather violent event. 

The northern lights are created when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. 

As Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles — there are southern lights, too, — the dramatic process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon that dazzles and fascinates scientists and skywatchers alike.

At any given moment, the sun is ejecting charged particles from its corona, or upper atmosphere, creating the solar wind. When that wind slams into Earth's ionosphere, or upper atmosphere, the aurora is born. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis).

The stylist. Takorji.

 Few photos. 

advice

 Bill Gates was invited by a high school to give a lecture. He arrived by helicopter, took the paper from the pocket where he had written eleven items. He read everything in less than 5 minutes, was applauded for more than 10 minutes non-stop, thanked him and left in his helicopter. What was written is very interesting, read:

1. Life isn't easy — get used to it.

2. The world is not concerned about your self-esteem. The world expects you to do something useful for it BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

A former cleaning lady becomes a chef and fulfils her dream of having her own organic restaurant

True story: A simple (but powerful) gesture of kindness from a CEO

3. You will not earn $20,000 a month once you leave school. You won't be vice president of a company with a car and phone available until you've managed to buy your own car and phone.

4. If you find your teacher rude, wait until you have a boss. He will not feel sorry for you.

5. Selling old newspapers or working while on vacation is not beneath your social standing. Your grandparents have a different word for it: they call it opportunity.

6. If you fail, it's not your parents' fault. So do not whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

7. Before you were born, your parents weren't as critical as they are now. They only got that way from paying your bills, washing your clothes and hearing you say they're "ridiculous." So before saving the planet for the next generation wanting to fix the mistakes of your parent's generation, try cleaning your own room.

8. Your school may have blurred the distinction between winners and losers, but life isn't like that. In some schools, you don't repeat more than a year and you have as many chances as you need to get it right. This looks like absolutely NOTHING in real life. If you step on the ball, you're fired… STREET!!! Do it right the first time!

9. Life is not divided into semesters. You won't always have summers off, and it's unlikely that other employees will help you with your tasks at the end of each term.

10. Television is NOT real life. In real life, people have to leave the bar or the club and go to work.

11. Be nice to the CDFs (those students that others think are assholes). There is a high probability that you will work FOR one of them.”

MMD

 May be a repeat. 

mAdhava mAmava dEva krSNa

yAdava krSNa yadukula krSNa

anupallavi

sAdhu janAdhAra sarvabhAva

caraNam 1

ambuja lOcana kambu shubha grIva

bimbAdhara candra bimbAnana

cAmpEya nAsAgra lagna sumauktika

shArada candra janita madana

caraNam 2

Agama giri shikharOdita satya

chidadvaya lakSaNa sukha bhAnO

bhOgi kuLOttama bhOga shayana dugdha-

sAgarajA lakSaNAdhya tanO

caraNam 3

indirayA saha sundara krSNa

purandarAdi vandya padakamala

nandanandana yOgivarya dhurandhara

nArAyaNa tIrtha mativihAr

Meaning:

pallavi

mAdhava - O husband of Lakshmi (mA) !

mAmava - Protect me.

dEva krSNa - O Lord Krishna !

yAdava krSNa yadukula krSNa - O Scion of the Yadu dynasty !

anupallavi

sAdhu janAdhAra - O Support of good people !

sarvabhAva - O Embodiment of all creation !

caraNam 1

ambuja lOcana - O Lotus-eyed one !

kambu shubha grIva - O One with an auspicious conch-like neck !

bimbAdhara - O One with (red) lips like a bimba fruit (kovvai pazham)!

candra bimbAnana - O One whose face is like the orb of the moon !

lagna sumauktika - O One with a nice pearl fixed

cAmpEya nAsAgra - at the tip of the nose that resembles the Champaka flower !

shArada candra - O One (pleasing) like the autumnal moon !

janita madana - O Father of Manmatha !

caraNam 2

bhAnO - O Sun

Agama giri shikhara udita - rising atop the hill of the Vedas,

satya chidadvaya lakSaNa sukha - embodying existence, awareness and bliss that is your singular definition !

bhOgi kuLOttama bhOga shayana - O One reclining on the hood of the best of serpents !

dugdha- sAgarajA lakSaNAdhya tanO - O One whose body is endowed with the mark (residence) of Lakshmi, the daughter of the Milk Ocean !

caraNam 3

sundara krSNa - O Handsome Krishna (who is)

indirayA saha - along with Lakshmi !

purandaraadi vandya padakamala - O One whose lotus-feet are saluted by Indra and other Devas !

nandanandana - O Child of Nanda !

yOgivarya dhurandhara - O Foremost among the best of Yogis !

nArAyaNa tIrtha mativihAra - O One sporting in the mind of Narayana Teertha !

Air show.

 

The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) aerobatic team performing mega air show held at Marina beach in Chennai on October 6, 2024. 

The city, which hosted the IAF airshow after 21 years, witnessed a scintillating aerial display of several fighter jets, helicopters, and vintage aircraft, which enthralled the audience. Some of the aircraft and helicopters that participated in various formations include LCA Tejas, Rafale, Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar Mirage 2000, MiG 29, HTT 40, ALH Mk-I, Hawk MK, Chetak, Dakota and Harvard.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CFcYcQrUrgRSXSyInnJR97ZfF48T9ght?usp=sharing

The fly-past of the airshow, conducted between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., began with the Dhwaj formation of Chetak helicopters carrying the flags of India and IAF, followed by other formations including Puyal Formation by Rafale, Pallava by Harvard, Kalam by HTT-40, Kaveri by C 295 and DO 228, Nilgiri by Jaguar, Kartikeye and Pandiyan formations by Tejas, Marina and Chola formations by Sukhoi 30 MKI, Dhanush by P-8I and Rafale, Sarang by ALH MK-I and Mahabali formation by C17 and Suryakiran Aerobatic team, Kanchi by AEW&C and MiG 29, Sangam by LCH, Chera by Dakota and PC 7 aircraft, and Natraj by IL-78 and Mirage 2000.

Kintsugi.

 Kintsugi: The Art of Embracing Imperfections

Kintsugi, a traditional Japanese art form, translates to "golden joinery" or "golden repair." It involves mending broken pottery using lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The philosophy behind kintsugi goes beyond merely fixing an object; it celebrates its fractures and history, turning damage into something unique and beautiful. This practice, rooted in the Zen Buddhist philosophy of wabi-sabi, embraces imperfection, impermanence, and the acceptance of change as an inherent part of life.

Origins of Kintsugi

The art of kintsugi originated in the late 15th century during the Muromachi period in Japan. According to legend, the practice began when the Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a damaged Chinese tea bowl back to China for repairs. Upon its return, the bowl was restored with unsightly metal staples, which motivated Japanese artisans to develop a more aesthetically pleasing method of repair. Thus, kintsugi was born. This new technique aligned with the cultural values of beauty, impermanence, and respect for the object's history.

The Philosophy of Kintsugi

At its core, kintsugi embodies the idea that brokenness is not something to hide but rather to honor. The mended cracks and fissures are highlighted with precious metals, creating a piece of art that tells a story of resilience and transformation. Kintsugi teaches that experiences of loss or damage do not diminish the value of a person or object. Instead, they add to its beauty and uniqueness.

This practice reflects the broader Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the imperfect, the transient, and the incomplete. Unlike Western ideals of perfection, which often prioritize flawless symmetry and permanence, wabi-sabi accepts the natural cycle of growth and decay. The imperfections of the repaired pottery, now made more striking by the golden veins, become metaphors for life’s inevitable imperfections.

Kintsugi in Contemporary Culture

Today, kintsugi has transcended its original craft and has been adopted as a powerful metaphor for personal growth and healing. Many people find comfort in the idea that their own emotional scars and life challenges can be seen as something to embrace rather than hide. The concept of “being made more beautiful for having been broken” resonates with individuals experiencing loss, failure, or trauma. Kintsugi invites reflection on how we handle adversity and offers an empowering perspective on the value of imperfections.

Additionally, in an age of mass production and consumerism, kintsugi encourages mindful consumption by emphasizing the value of repair over replacement. Rather than discarding broken objects, kintsugi suggests that with care and craftsmanship, damaged items can gain new life. This approach aligns with modern sustainability movements that challenge the throwaway culture by encouraging people to value the stories and longevity of their possessions.

Conclusion

Kintsugi is more than just a method of repairing pottery; it is a philosophy that teaches us to find beauty in brokenness, to honor the passage of time, and to embrace imperfection. By highlighting the fractures rather than concealing them, kintsugi elevates the damaged object into something richer and more meaningful. This ancient Japanese art form offers a timeless lesson: that our struggles, far from diminishing us, have the potential to make us stronger, wiser, and more beautiful.